Nickelodeon's Kingdom Hearts: Redux
by MegaTenDouche
Summary: This is a rewritten version of the first Nickelodeon's Kingdom Hearts with some changes concepts and fixes. When his world is swallowed up by darkness and is separated from his two best friends, Kioku acquires a mysterious weapon called the Keyblade. He teams up with the King's guards, Spongebob and Patrick to find his friends and put a stop to the Heartless and person behind them.
1. Premise I

_**Nickelodeon's Kingdom Hearts: Redux**_

 _(Instead of it being a crossover between Square Enix and Disney, It's a cross between Nickelodeon and Nintendo, with it being Co-developed by Square Enix due to the battle system being nearly identical to the original Kingdom Hearts.)_

* * *

 **Summary:**

 _(The story for Nickelodeon's Kingdom Hearts is fairly the same as the game it's based off of. The main differences are that Square Enix and Disney characters are replaced with Nintendo and Nickelodeon characters. One of the main things left unchanged is the Keyblade, it being a basic trademark of the KH series. Instead of visiting worlds based off of Disney movies, the worlds are based off of Nickelodeon TV shows, movies, and some Dreamworks movies. Most of the main battle music choices will used from the Kingdom Hearts series, such as The Encounter, Rowdy Rumble and other great selections.)_

 ** _*New:_** _This is a newer, more polished version of Nickelodeon's Kingdom Hearts I. Since I'm currently writing and planning things for Nickelodeon Kingdom Hearts II, I've looked back on the first story and realized that it needs a lot more work done to it. A few things have been changed around but mostly everything story-wise stays the same._

* * *

 _ **Main Characters:**_

 **Kioku (Voiced by Ryan Potter/** **Yūtarō Honjō)** :

Kioku is a 14 year old boy that lives with his friends, Yoru and Taiyo in a small town called Tranquil County. And all three of them dream of venturing from thereto find out what lies beyond. Kioku's home was consumed by darkness, sending him on a journey to many worlds across the Realm of Light. An upbeat youth, he travels with his new friends Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick Star in search of his missing friends, and uses his newly acquired weapon, the Keyblade, to put an end to the threats that destroyed his world.

 **Kioku's design:**

Kioku's has sky blue eyes with feathered, airy caramel brown hair. He wears a short-sleeved black hoodie with white trimmings and a gray undershirt and over that, he wears blue overall shorts with a long zipper running through the middle, also sporting a a loosely worn dark brown belt. Kioku sports gloves that are colored black on the outside and white on the inside with a white line running around them. He wears large yellow shoes with black soles, a zipper running across the top, and black straps holding them together with buckles here and there. Like Sora, He wears a crown pendant around his neck.

 **Yoru (Voiced by Daniel Lee Curtis/Miyu Irino):**

Yoru is one of Kioku's best friends. He is a 15 year old boy who lives in Tranquil County with his best friends, Kioku and Taiyo, and all three of them dream of venturing from Tranquil County to find out what lies beyond.

 **Yoru's design:**

Yoru's appearance has been changed from the original design. He now has light tan skin, with long, shaggy black hair and dark purple eyes. He wears a red t-shirt with black trimmings decorated with four silver buttons. He also wears black jeans and a black belt with a large silver buckle. On his feet, Yoru wears white hightops that are gray on the bottom with a red stripe separating the two colors. His laces are black. He also has another pair of laces wrapped around his shoes at the ankle that are tied into a bow. On his wrists he sports thick black, cloth bracelets.

 **Taiyo (Voiced by Mae Whitman/Ami Koshimizu):**

Taiyo was born in another world, but currently lives in Tranquil County along with her two best friends, Kioku and Yoru. All three of them dream of venturing from Tranquil County to find out what lies beyond.

 **Taiyo's design:**

Taiyo has long dark brown hair with emerald green eyes. She wears a white shoulderless long-sleeved blouse under a yellow lolita-style dress with corset lacing. Taiyo sports white thigh high socks with maroon boots. She wears a pair of black leather gloves and maroon boots, and a black choker and an emerald jewel pendant.

Spongebob Squarepants (Spongebob Squarepants/Royal Frycook/Mage)

Patrick Star (Spongebob Squarepants/Captain of the Royal Knights/Warrior)

* * *

 _ **Worlds:**_

 _(Most of these worlds are based off of Nickelodeon TV shows and movies, both old and new.)_

Daybreak Town (KHX) (This world acts as a hub world, similar to how Traverse Town did in KH1. This is where most people end up after their world is destoryed.)

Town of Mysteries (The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo)

Land of the Wild (The Wild Thornberrys)

Paradise Valley (The Secret Life of Alex Mack)

The Halberd Battleship (Super Smash Bros. Brawl)

Interstellar Arena (My Life as a Teenage Robot)

Wind-Up Castle (Eureeka's Castle)

Polk Middle School (Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide)

Far Far Away (Shrek)

Hollow Bastion

 ** _*_** _Terminus de Mundus **-New name for End Of The World-**_

* * *

 **Sub worlds:**

Adventurous Forest (Little Bear) (Like 100 Acre Wood, Adventurous Forest is a world inside a world.)

 **"Non-Playable" Worlds:**

Krusty Kastle/Bikini Bottom (Spongebob Squarepants)

* * *

 _ **Summons:**_

 _ **Crimson Charm:**_ With the help of two friends, you will be able to summon Crismon Chin. He will hold the enemies in place with devestating karate combos so that Kioku can get in a few keyblade strikes. One of his reaction commands, **Comet** , allows you to let Crimson Chin toss Kioku into the air, allowing him crash himself into the ground keyblade first, eliminating any enemies under him. His finishing command, **Super Chinified Laser** , allows Kioku to lend Crimson Chin some power from his keyblade so that he can fire a huge beam from his chin that obliterates anything in it's path, as for bosses, it only takes away a moderate portion of HP.

 _ **PSI Charm:**_ With the help of two friends, you will able to summon Ness. Ness can deliver heavy comboes from his baseball bat, letting Kioku come in and finish the enemies off with swift Keyblade strikes. Ness also uses PSI spells frequently. Occasionally, when Kioku's health is at a critical status, he will use **PSI Heal** to get Kioku back in the game. Ness' finishing command, _**PSI Starstorm**_ , allow Kioku to raise his Keyblade in the air and Ness to raise his hand into the air both at the same time, they channel enough energy to make comets and meteors rain down upon the enemies.

 _ **Superhero Charm:**_ With the help of two friends, you will be able to summon Fanboy and Chum Chum. They are relatively weak, but make up for it with their agility. They can deal little damage with pushing and shoving comboes. Their reaction command, _**Slingshot**_ , lets Kioku knock both Fanboy and Chum Chum into the enemies, dealing quite a bit of damage. Their finishing command, _**Punchy Punchy Smack Smack**_ , shows Kioku, Fanboy and Chum Chum racing towards the enemies and wailing on them with heavy attacks, this may look like it's a powerful finisher, but it only does moderate damage.

 _ **Penguin Charm**_ : With the help of two friends, you will be able to summon Skipper, Rico, Kowalski and Private. These four are pretty powerful, being able to hold the enemies in place with crazy karate comboes, but lack in agility. Their reaction command, _**Coldfeet**_ , lets Kioku and the Penguins rush towards any enemy and quickly make due of them with fast attacks, similar to Aladdin's RC in KH2. Their finishing command, _**Mission Complete**_ , involves Kioku and the Penguins moving past the enemies at lightning speed, slashing them in the process, then Kioku snaps his fingers and the enemies are obliterated.

 _ **Swordsman Charm:**_ With the help of two friends, you will be able to summon Magnus. He is one of the most powerful summons in the story, being highly skilled in strength, defense and agility. His RC, _**Deadly Assualt**_ , shows Kioku and Magnus lashing out at the enemies with their weapons, creating massive damage. His finishing command, _**Godly Tremor**_ , involves Magnus slamming his massive sword on the ground, creating a tremor to knock the enemies into the air, he grabs Kioku by the ankles and slings him upward, kioku regains his footing in the air and finishing them off with airboune combos.

 _ **Fairy Charm**_ : With the help of two friends, you will be able to summon the Great Fairy, the most powerful summon in the story. Great Fairy is armed with powerful spells, and has no physical attacks. Her starting RC, _**Burning Inferno**_ , involves her Kioku in a forcefield, afterwards she attacks the entire area with countless Fire spells. Her following RC, _**Blistering Blizzards**_ , involves her and Kioku shooting Blizzard spells at the enemies, another RC, _**Screaming Bolts,**_ shows Great Fairy protecting Kioku by covering his ears with her hands, then she lets out an earpiercing screech that causes Thunder spells to strike down on the enemies. Also, when Kioku's health is at a critical state, she will automatically fully heal him no matter what. Her finishing RC, _**Morning Star**_ _,_ involves her temporarily lending Kioku most of her power, Kioku raises his Keyblade in the air and a large meteor comes falling towards the enemies, killing them as the meteor slams down on impact.


	2. Chapter 1: Is it real?

_**Chapter 1: Is it real or not?**_

 _I've been having these weird thoughts lately..._

 _..Sometimes..I wonder if they're real or not..._

Kioku floated in a endless black abyss. He slowly fell downward in the void, like a rock sinking down to the bottomless ocean. He opened his eyes to see where he was, if there was any signs of life. But he couldn't see a thing because it was so dark. Kioku looked up and saw a small light sparkling above him, then, an unknown voice spoke to him.

 _So much to do,_

 _...So little time..._

 _Take your time.._

"Huh? Who's there?", he said, looking around to see where the voice came from. Before he knew it, his feet touched down on what felt like a platform made out of stained glass. Kioku's eyes widen, he looked down at the platform he stood on. It was a picture of a princess with blonde hair, wearing a pink dress and crown, and surround her were pictures of a bunch of small midgets with toadstool-shaped heads. Then in a flash of light, a strange weapon appeared in his hand. The weapon was shaped like a pin tumbler key, . Kioku examined the weapon with a raised eyebrow, taking in the weapon's peculiar appearance. Then a pathway made out of stained glass appeared, and it was leading up to another platform. Kioku looked around cautiously before jogging towards the pathway. But soon after, black creatures with glowing yellow eyes emerged before him, making him jump back in fear.

 _"Don't be afraid... the power that was sleeping inside of you is now awake..."_

Kioku's heart raced. The creatures slowly trotted towards looked at his new weapon and took a stance, swallowing spit in nervousness. The creatures dances eerily in place, just before they charged towards Kioku. One of the creatures leap towards the boy, threatening to claw him in his face but Kioku threw up his weapon in a defensive manner, blocking the attack. He smirked and slashed through the monster, vaporizing it into darkness. More of them emerged from the ground, Kioku readied his weapon and charged at them. Kioku spun around, twisting his Keyblade and smacked one of the creatures away. Another one managed to scratch him on his cheek, making him wince in pain and then slash through it in revenge.

Kioku noticed the remaining monsters and ran towards the pathway to escape them and made his way up. As he got to the next station, Kioku looked and saw a door was on the far end of the platform. Kioku panted and wiped his forehead. He jogged over to the door and tried to push it open, but it wouldn't budge.

The boy took a step back and looked at his weapon. "Hmm.."

Kioku pointed his Keyblade at the door, a small white beam of light shot out of the end of it and into the door's keyhole. A loud 'click' sounded and the door slowly opened. Kioku walked through, only to step foot on another stain glass platform. Kioku walked forward, looking around for anything different. A light shined down in the center of the platform, the boy made his way towards it. As he stepped into the light, he felt a strange presence, Kioku turned around. Nothing. But his face was still branded with a cautious look and soon enough he felt someone's presence creep up on him.

Kioku turned around and he looked at his shadow, which was rising up from the ground and taking physical form, it's eyes glowed yellow just like the monsters the boy had fought just moments ago. Kioku gasped and backed away from it as Anti-Kioku summoned a shadow version of his other's Keyblade and pointed it at him. Anti-Kioku let out an eerie laugh and charged at him, swinging it's Keyblade in a downward axe-like motion. Kioku quickly drew his Keyblade and blocked the attack, struggling to overpower his shadow self.

Kioku shoved Anti-Kioku away and swiftly attack it with a few swings right before twisting his Keyblade and knocking it away with a strong attack. Anti-Kioku flipped backwards and landed on it's feet, making the teen grit his teeth and charge at his shadow. Their Keyblades clashed constantly as they both tried to get a hit in but Kioku let his guard down, giving Anti-Kioku the advantage and knocked him the air with an upper slash.

Kioku screamed as he was suddenly thrown up into the air, flailing his arms wildly. Anti-Kioku leaped into the air after him and began to pummel Kioku with a barrage of blows, then sending him to the ground with a final strike. Kioku felt an extreme jolt of pain as he hit the glass floor, as a painful grunt escaped through his teeth. He struggled himself up to his feet. He gripped his Keyblade tighter.

Anti-Kioku's shadowy laugh rang in his ears as it dived towards him. Kioku had little time to dodge as Anti-Kioku crashed down to the ground with it's own Keyblade, Kioku performed a quick back flip and retaliated with a swift strike that knocked Anti-Kioku away. Kioku charged at his shadow self and did it in with a leaping attack which caused his shadow to shriek in pain just before slowly bubbling and melting. Kioku smiled victoriously and holstered his Keyblade on his shoulder. Once Anti-Kioku melted into a puddle of ink black darkness, it then expanding farther over to Kioku's feet and began to slowly pull him in as if it were quicksand. Kioku's Keyblade dismissed itself in a flash of light just as he was about to use it to try and escape.

Kioku panicked as he was being pulled down into the darkness. He desperately tried calling for help, but the darkness was swallowing him whole, and no one was there to help him. Soon everything around him was pitch black, and just as void. But then, a warm light emitted within the darkness and had began to vanquish the darkness from all around him.

* * *

 **- _Tranquil County: Hilltops-_**

Kioku opened his eyes and his hazy vision was greeted by the clear blue skies, with the warm sun beaming down on him. He sat up and yawned, ruffling his hair. Kioku looked up and shielded his eyes from the sun's glare right before resting back on the lush grass to prepare to fall back asleep, but his eyes soon met eyes with a familiar female face. "Whoa!" Kioku exclaimed as he jumped up, startled by the girl's presence. The girl giggled innocently at the boy's reaction.

"Jeez, gimme a break Taiyo!" Kioku said as he rubbed his eyes sheepishly. Taiyo blinked her emerald green eyes. "I knew you'd be up here sleeping, you lazy bum." Taiyo winked. Kioku tried to explain, "My shadow swallowed me up! I couldn't breathe or yell-OW!", until Taiyo plucked him on the head with her finger.

"You still dreaming?" She questioned playfully. "It wasn't a dream, it felt too real!" Kioku lowered his gaze to the ground and sighed. "Or maybe it was. Tch, I dunno.."The boy had then stood up and stretched. "What was that place exactly, it was crazy weird."

"Yeah sure," Taiyo rolled her eyes and turned her attention to the town, which they could overlook from where they were. Kioku put his hands behind his head and leaned back slightly. He looked over at the girl and asked her a question, "Taiyo, you have any idea what your hometown was like?" Taiyo shook her head in response.

"I already told you, I don't remember." Taiyo stated

Kioku lowered his hands, "Nothing at all?"

"Nope!" Taiyo nodded. "Ever think about going back?" Kioku questioned again.

"Well, I like it here." Taiyo turned around, a big smile branded on her face. "But I wouldn't mind going to see it!"

Kioku nodded. "I'd want to see it too. Along with all the other worlds out there. I'd be the one to explore 'em all."

Taiyo giggled and jumped in excitement. "Then what's stopping us?" She cheered happily. "Hey!" a voice said, accompanied by the sounds of grassy footsteps walking up hill. "You guys forgettin' about someone?" A boy with long, shaggy silver hair approached them, holding a large bookbag. He gave them a wave. "Am I the only one planning this trip?"

"Oh, hey Yoru." Taiyo waved. Yoru slung the bookbag into Kioku's stomach, nearly knocking the wind out of him and making him fall down into the grass. "You're just as nearly as lazy as Mr. Snooze-A-Lot over here." Taiyo moved some of her hair behind her ear, "So you noticed. Then let's hurry and get the boat ready. I'll race you."

Yoru and Kioku looked a Taiyo in confusion, "What?"

"Ready? GO!" The two boys looked at each other for a brief moment and then began to race down the hill, with Taiyo following behind them. The closer Kioku and Yoru got to town, the faster they ran. "Getting tired, Kioku?" Yoru yelled at his friend as they were nearly neck and neck.

"Nope! But I see sweat on your brow as we speak!" Kioku smirked.

Yoru laughed. "To the garage we go!"

* * *

 ** _-Tranquil County: Old Garage-_**

The three made it back to an old garage on the outskirts of town, where they were making a boat to sail to another world. The boat was nearly done, just a few more things until it's ready for the trip. The door slammed about and Kioku and Yoru tried to force themselves in at once. Taiyo then pushed the boys into the garage, making them both fall. Kioku sat with his legs criss-crossed. "Looks like I'm the winner, huh?" He smiled.

Yoru shook his head, "Nope, my feet touched the floor first!"

"Yeah, but my hand was inside first!" Kioku argued back.

"Will both of you pipe down? We got a boat to finish here!" Taiyo yelled, shutting both of the boys up. Kioku then turned his attention to the boat, he cheesed.

"Wow, it looks great!" Kioku gawked. "We'll be sailin' in no time!" The boat with big enough for three people and had a built in storage compartment for items that they would need on the trip. Food, water, first-aid kits.

"Give a big hand for Yoru who did most of it, though. Thanks Kioku. You too Taiyo." Yoru said sarcastically, resulting in the two glaring at the silver haired boy. "Probably too busy feeding each other Paopu fruit." Kioku blushed heavily, "Shut up, Yoru..."

Yoru laughed, "I'm only kidding. Jeez, what a short temper you have."

"Y'know, I wonder if we'll actually find another world, at the end of the sea." Kioku gently touched the boat. "Wonder what it'll be like."

"Everything will be answered when we get there." Yoru answered. "We'll know what kind of world Taiyo came from, and why we're here."

"Plus, if Taiyo never came to our town, we wouldn't even had the idea that other worlds besides ours had existed." Yoru went on. "We would've been stuck here in this boring, unchanging place." Kioku then looked over to Taiyo who was fiddling around with something. "What's that?" Taiyo quickly jumped up and hid that something behind her back. "Nothing! Just making something," She paused and smiled, "Something cool~.." she sang.

She walked up to the boys and held out what looked like a necklace being made out of thalassa shells. "I'm making a good luck charm." Taiyo's gaze fell back on the necklace. "Way back when, sailors would wear these and pray for a safe trip. Praying that no matter where they went, they'd come back some day."

Kioku nodded. "Then let's go! Let's go see the world, right?"

Taiyo giggled and nodded. "Yeah."

* * *

 ** _-Tranquil County: Train Tracks-_**

After a while, Taiyo went home and Kioku and Yoru walked on the train tracks to get home. Kioku looked at the star-filled night sky, causing memories of his childhood to rush him. Suddenly, Yoru tapped Kioku's shoulder. "What's up?" Kioku asked the boy.

Yoru handed Kioku a paopu. "I knew you wanted one, so here." Kioku blushed. "But-"

"You'd better try it out with Taiyo before I do." Yoru's look became serious. Kioku became stern faced, making Yoru laughed at his reaction. "Hey, I'm just kidding!" Yoru slapped Kioku on his back. "Man, you're so easy to rile up!" Kioku rolled his eyes and stuffed the fruit into his pocket. "So tomorrow we sail?"

"Yup. So be ready." Yoru nodded, "This trip won't be an easy one, so get as much rest as you need and remember to pack a lot of item for the trip. As the two got into town, they said their goodbyes and parted ways.

 ** _Tranquil County: Kioku's bedroom_**

Kioku lay on his bed and held the paopu fruit up into the air. He thought about Taiyo. Kioku thought about the myth of the paopu, thinking that's all it is. A stupid myth. The boy tossed the fruit over to the side and turned over to go to sleep, as he was to sail to another world with both Yoru and Taiyo early tomorrow morning.

* * *

 ** _Kioku's dream.._**

 _Kioku found himself on a beach. The sounds of the waves crashing towards the shore filled his heart with tranquility. Looking around, he saw three people cloaked in black on the beach with him. One figure sat on the sand, the waves seeping towards his feet. The other cloaked person leaned up against a palm tree looking over at the sea. The last one sat on the edge of a pier, scanning the waters calmly._

 _"Who are these guys?"_

 _Kioku ventured up to the one sitting near the crashing waves. "Hey, uh.."_

 _The cloaked person slowly looked up at the boy. "Tell me...what's the most important to you?"_

 _Kioku rubbed the back of his neck, and thought about the question that was presented to him. "Jeez..well. I do like having friends. Friendship is the most important to me." The cloaked boy scoffed, "Is friendship such a big deal?"_

 _Before Kioku could argue, the cloaked boy vanished leaving him to look around. Noticing that two more remained, Kioku marched over to the one by the palm tree. In a brazen-like manner, Kioku stood in front of the second cloaked figure. The figure looked at Kioku. "What are you afraid of?"_

 _Kioku thought hard about this one. "Being old sounds like a scary thought." He answered, giving the cloaked figure a serious look. The figure shook his head slowly, uncrossing his arms. "Is getting old really that scary?" and just like the last one, he vanished too. Kioku looked over to the final one._

 _He jogged over to the cloaked figure sitting on the pier. "Heya," The cloaked figure looked up at Kioku. "What do you want out of life?"_

 _Kioku pondered. "To see rare sights! That seems cool." He answered. The cloaked figure nodded. "I see.."He soon vanished, leaving behind a few words that rang in Kioku's ears._

 ** _You value your bonds towards others._**

 ** _You're afraid of getting old._**

 ** _You live to see rare sights._**

 ** _Your journey begins...very soon.._**

 _The world around Kioku began to shake, as if an earthquake was taking place. As the pier crumbled into darkness, Kioku quickly ran as the rest of the scenery around him was being destroyed. There was soon no where else to run and Kioku fell through a crevice, sinking into darkness._

 _"No!"_

 _And so it begins.._

* * *

 ** _Guardian Locker:_**

**_Attack: +4_**

 ** _Magic: +3_**

 _The Guardian Locker design is based off of a pin tumbler key in contrast to Sora's skeleton key. The guard is dark grey, with some silver highlights on the side, with the blade being long, bearing two pointed edges on the tip that resemble wolf ears. The keychain is a small crown._


	3. Chapter 2: Trouble Emerges

**_Chapter 2: Trouble Emerges_**

 **(Meanwhile..In another world)**

 ** _-Bikini Bottom: Krusty Kastle-_**

It was another morning in the Krusty Kastle. The Royal Frycook and highly skilled Mage, Spongebob Squarepants, was on his way to see King Eugene Krabs, the ruler of Bikini Bottom. The sponge waved as he passed by the other fish who served as workers inside of the castle as he approached the door to the King's large throne room door. He cleared his throat and entered the room through a smaller door. He walked down the red carpet leading down to King Krabs' throne. "Good morning, King K!" Spongebob said cheerily. As he made his way down the long room, he didn't notice that King Krabs was gone. But he did find it unusual that King Krabs wouldn't greet him back. But Spongebob dismissed the thought and kept walking.

"It's nice to see this wonderful mornin-" Spongebob stopped mid-sentence. "What!?" From behind King Krabs' throne, Spongebob's pet snail, Gary, slithered out with an envelope in it's mouth. The envelope had a red KK insignia on it, which was King Krabs' signature. Spongebob kneeled down and pet Gary, "Heya boy, have you seen King K?" He then took the letter from Gary and He began to read it. His stomach dropped and he bolted out of the throne room, screaming and panicking. He quickly made his way to the courtyard. When he got there, he saw Patrick Star, the Captain of The Royal Knights sleeping soundly in the garden. Spongebob quickly approached his sleeping friend. "Patrick! Patrick, wake up! This is serious!"

Patrick didn't wake up. He was oblivious to any of Spongebob's words as he was in a deep sleep. This mad Spongebob grow very anxious, making him tap his foot rapidly as he waited for his starfish friend to wake up. "Sorry Pat!" Spongebob apologized as h eraised his finger into the air and casted a Thunder spell on Patrick. He awoke up immediately as he had just been zapped, Patrick rubbed his eyes and looked at Spongebob.

"Oh, hi Spongebob!" Patrick waved, smiling at his best friend.

"Pat, we've got a serious problem!," Spongebob announced frantically. He stopped and looked around just before leaning in. "But you can't tell anyone!" He whispered.

"Princess Pearl?" Patrick questioned. Spongebob shook his head, "Not even the Princess!"

"Squidward?" Patrick whispered. "No! No! No! It's top secret information!" Spongebob said.

"Oh, good morning guys," Patrick said, looking behind Spongebob.

"Huh?" Spongebob turned around and saw that Princess Pearl and Squidward were standing there. "Hehe..Hey guys.." Spongebob chuckled nervously.

* * *

 ** _-Krusty Kastle: Library-_**

 _Dear Spongebob,_

 _Forgive me for leavin' without sayin' goodbye, but there's big trouble stirrin' up. I'm not sure why, but the stars have been blinkin' out one by one, And that means that disaster can't be that far from us. I really hate to leave you all, but this is somethin' I gotta check into. There's someone with a "key"- the key to our survival. So I need you and Patrick to find him, and stick with him. Okay, lad? We need that key or were doomed! So head to Daybreak Town and find Link. He'll point you in the right direction._

 _P.S._ _Ya mind apologizin' to Pearl for me? Thanks, Lad._

 _-King Krabs_

* * *

"What could this mean?" Squidward asked.

"It means..we'll just have to believe in daddy." Pearl said, nodding her head understandingly.

"So, where do we find the key?" Patrick looked towards his peers.

"Didn't you read the letter, Patrick?," Spongebob folded his arms. "We gotta go to Daybreak Town and ask Link. He knows." Spongebob explained.

Patrick snickered, "Oh..I knew that.."

"I can't believe I'm actually saying this. But be careful." Squidward said plainly, rolling his eyes.

"Oh yeah, before I forget!" Pearl said as she almost forgot about someone. "To keep track of your travels, this guy will come with you!" Pearl said. Standing on the desk, was a small blue mouse with green plaid overalls. He was holding a journal that was fit for his size. Spongebob and Patrick squinted their eyes to get a look at him. "Right over here, ya nimrods." The mouse spoke.

"How's it goin'? The name's Winslow T. Oddfellow, glad to be at your service.."

"You guys better come back in one piece, you guys are sadly our only hope since we had no one else to send." Pearl said, rolling her eyes ungratefully.

Spongebob gave a firm salute. "Can do, your highness!"

"Yeah!" Patrick nodded, following in salute. "Well find the King and this Key in no time flat!"

* * *

Spongebob, Patrick and Winslow walked down the spiraling steps the lead to the Gummi Hangar. The three conversed among themselves. "So, 'wind blows', Your world must've have disappeared too, huh?" Patrick said as he tried to make conversation.

"It's _Winslow,_ ya sack of rocks! And yeah, my world disappeared. I got separated from my friends CatDog. And by the looks of it, I'm the only lone survivah that made it to this castle. I still dunno how I'm able to breathe undawatah, eitha'."

Spongebob winked at the mouse. "Oh, I saw you struggling for breath, so I used a spell that allowed you to breathe underwater," He explained. "Oh yeah, and Patrick.." He turned to his pink friend with a low gaze.

"Oh yeah! We can't tell other people about us being from another world." Patrick remembered. "Guess we're protecting the world border, right Spongebob?"

"Order. World order!" Spongebob corrected. "And it looks like we'll need some stylish new clothes when we get there."

When they arrived at the Hangar, they all climbed into the Gummi Ship. They strapped in their seat belts and got ready for take off. Spongebob pointed forward as the large doors that lead to the Lanes in Between opened up. "BLAST OFF!" As Patrick pressed the big red button that was supposed to make the ship blast forward, it instead made it fall down a chute. The two of them screamed as they fell quickly. Soon, they ended up in the Lanes In Between.

"Darn it, Pat. That was the wrong button!" Spongebob yelled.

"Oh..sorry.." Patrick chuckled sheepishly. Spongebob sighed and accelerated towards Daybreak Town.

* * *

 ** _-Tranquil County: Kioku's room-_**

Slamming face first on the floor, Kioku was now awake. He quickly stood up to his feet and began to pat himself, making sure he was okay. Soon, he was startled by the sound of thunder clapping, soon followed by the screams of other people. "What the.." Kioku look out of his window and saw countless of weird, black creatures with glowy yellow eyes overtaking the town. It was a horrible sight, as the monster mauled and attacked the townsfolk. His heart raced and his mind was racing even faster. Who are these things? What are these things? How the hell did they even get here? Kioku kept asking these things constantly as he quickly got dressed. "I'd better head over to the garage and make sure that the boat's all right."

* * *

 ** _-Tranquil County: Grassy Fields-_**

Dashing across town and into the fields, Kioku hurried towards the old garage. He managed to avoid some of the monsters on the way. Lucky him. Out of breath and tired out of his mind, Kioku had though he saw Yoru standing in the middle of the field, looking over at the old garage. As Kioku got closer, he saw that it really was him. He felt immediate relief as he approached him.

"Yo, Yoru!" Kioku called to him. "Boy, am I glad to see you!" Panting, Kioku chuckled and put and hand on Yoru's shoulder. "But..there's no time to talk...the town...monsters-"

"The door.." Yoru interrupted. Kioku tilted his head slightly. "Wha?"

"The door has opened, Kioku." Yoru said, turning around. The look in his eyes was foreign. The calm and collected vibe was replaced by a cold and ruthless stare. His lips with curled into a smirk. "Now, we can go to the outside world!"

"What are you talking about, this isn't the time for games." Kioku yelled over the loud whirling wind. "We need to find Taiyo and get going! I thought she was with you, anyways."

"Taiyo's coming with us!" Yoru grinned sinisterly. Kioku's eyes widen at his new attitude. "Once we step through, we might never be able to come back. We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back, Kioku." Yoru ran his fingers through his hair, "This may be our only chance! We can't let fear stop us. I'm not afraid of the darkness!" Yoru retained his evil-like grin as he extended his hand out to Kioku.

"Yoru.." A puddle of darkness formed from under Yoru's feet and it soon began to slowly engulf him. Kioku tried to run towards him, but soon a puddle of darkness formed under him too. The boy reached out to his friend, who's gaze hasn't gone away. No matter how far Kioku reached, it seemed like Yoru was too far. Soon the darkness had swallowed them whole.

After a minute of what felt like hours, a warm light sliced through the darkness and Kioku returned back into the field this time holding a weapon he was familiar with. The Keyblade. It's name rang in Kioku's earsjust like it had before. Soon, the monsters started to appear around him. Kioku gripped onto his weapon and swung away at the enemies, knocking them away with vicious strikes. He looked around for Yoru, but it seemed that Yoru had disappeared with the darkness. Without nowhere else to look, Kioku headed over to the treehouse.

* * *

 ** _-Treehouse-_**

Reaching the treehouse, Kioku had found Taiyo. Surrounded by a horde of monsters. "Taiyo! Don't worry, I'll get you out!"Kioku slashed away at the monsters until none were left. The Keyblade disappeared in a flash of light and Kioku called out to his friend."Taiyo!"

Taiyo turned around, her eyes dull and emotionless. "Kio..ku..", The door on the other side burst open, a gust of wind pushing Taiyo forward. Kioku braced himself so that he could catch Taiyo. But when he reached out to grab her, she disappeared right from his arms, going right through him as if she was a ghost. Kioku, confused, looked back to she where she went, but was soon rushed out of the treehouse by the strong gusts of wind. Flying high into the air, getting dangerously close to the large orb of destruction which was ripping apart his town, Kioku never thought he would die like this. Better than living in the ruins of a once peaceful town like this one. Kioku closed his eyes and was ready to accept his death. As he was sucked into the large orb, he was surrounded by black nothingness. Soon, a bright, warm light enveloped the area around him.

* * *

 ** _-Daybreak Town-_**

Spongebob and Patrick walked into the town square of Daybreak Town. It keep from giving away what world they resided from, Spongebob used his magic to change his and Patrick's clothing. Spongebob wears a white shirt with three pouches and a red tie, black leather shoes with shoelaces, and brown rectangular pants with zippers on the pant legs and a black belt with a silver buckle. He wears black fingerless gloves on his hands and donned a camouflage helmet with the King Krabs insignia on it .

Patrick now wears two intersecting black straps over his chest, dropping much lower down and almost resembling criss-crossed suspenders. Patrick's pants are green, with a dark blue belt that is held together by a silver belt buckle. His pockets are purple pockets with buttons, and he also donned a camouflage helmet with the King Krabs insignia . They both had planned to look around for a man named Link, who would then tell them where they could find the 'key'. Patrick looked around with a scared look brandished on his face, "Sp-Spongebob! Everyone here looks weird!" Spongebob laughed, "Aw shucks, you're just not used to being in another world Patrick, you'll adjust."

Winslow jumped out of Spongebob's pocket and rested on his shoulder. "So, how are we gonna go about finding this Link guy?"

"Gee, we never really thought about it." Spongebob said as he tapped his chin in thought. "Maybe we should ask around town," Patrick suggested.

Winslow exclaimed, "Whatta ya nuts?! That'll take FOREVER!" He gestures towards the crowds of people walking around town.

"Great idea, Patrick!" Spongebob approved. "Let's ask around town for Link, he's sure to turn up somewhere."

Winslow groaned. "It's official. I've been paired up with the two biggest nimrods in the whole universe. Gotta write this down." The mouse then pulled out his tiny pen and started to jot down some information inside of his journal. As the three made their way into town, in an alleyway not far from them was a sleeping boy. There was Kioku, who had suddenly appeared there after the destruction of Tranquil County. He opened his eyes slowly, and looked around to see where he had ended up. He looked into his hand and saw that the Keyblade was still with him. "Oh..at least you're still here with me."

He stood up and ran out of the alleyway and into the town filled with people walking around and conversing with one another. A town where it was permanently daybreak. Kioku looked around in awe. "Holy...crap, I'm in another world!" Kioku screamed. He then called the names of his friends. "YORU! TAIYO!" But to no avail, no one responded.

* * *

 _ **Winslow's Journal  
**_

 _ ***Spongebob Squarepants:** Spongebob Squarepants is a __Royal Magician. Skilled in magic, he is highly optimistic and very friendly. He set out in the gummi ship with Patrick to find the king and some "key". **He made his television debut in "Spongebob Squarepants" (1999).**  
_

 _ ***Patrick Star:**_ _Captain of the royal knights. Despite his slow minded personality, Patrick is a worthy fighter and can be enlightening at times. He set out in the gummi ship with Spongebob to find King Krabs and the "key". **He was Spongebob's best bud in "Spongebob Squarepants" (1999).**  
_

 _ ***Princess Pearl:**_ _Princess of Krusty Kastle, ruling in Krabs' absence. I am accompanying Spongebob and Patrick (nimrods) as the royal chronicler at her request. Princess Pearl is more concerned than anyone about the king's disappearance. But she's also concerned about Spongebob and Patrick (see nimrods) causing havoc in other worlds. **She was Krabs' little girl in "Spongebob Squarepants" (1999).**  
_

 ** _*Squidward Tentacles:_** _Squidward Tentacles is the entertainer of the Krusty Kastle. He seems apathetic as first glance but...well he...he's good at he clarinet and..AWW FORGET ABOUT IT! **This "bundle a' joy" was a "man of talent" in "Spongebob Squarepants" (1999).**  
_


	4. Chapter 3: Search for the Key

_**Chapter 3: The Search for the Key at Daybreak!**_

 _ **-Daybreak Town: Streets-** _

_**(Field theme: The Brink of Daybreak)**_

Kioku explored the new town he had just been thrown in. As he walked the busy streets, He was greeted by the smiling faces of the townsfolk, even though majority of them weren't from here. Kioku's stomach became tight with nervousness. He continued to walk throughout the city until he managed to find a small accessory shop with a sign that read, "Neutron's Accessories". Kioku needed to know exactly where he was, so entering this shop was pretty much his only hope at this point.

* * *

 ** _-Daybreak Town: Neutron's Accessories-_**

Kioku pushed open the door which caused a bell to sound off. The interior of the shop looked exactly like a scientist's lab, with futuristic-like funiture and various utensils that a scientist would use. A boy behind the counter was busy stocking up items on the shelves, while a robotic dog was resting in his dog bed. The boy sported a cowlick hairstyle, and a red t-shirt and blue jeans with a blue lab coat tied around his waist, with eye goggles hanging around his neck.

Kioku rubbed the back of his neck as he strolled toward the counter. "Hey,"

The boy turned around, "Oh hello, come to purchase something?

"Well, not really," Kioku replied with a head shake . "But I am trying to find out where I am. You see, my world was destroyed and I ended up here in this town. My name is Kioku by the way." He introduced himself.

"Hello Kioku, I'm Jimmy Neutron, the owner of Neutron's Accessories. My world disappeared after the Heartless attacked. Me and Goddard had found a way out of there, and my friends.." Jimmy lowered his head.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Kioku apologized, seeing the slight pain in the young shopkeeper's eyes. So those black creatures are called "Heartless".

Jimmy raised his head, "You're in Daybreak Town, by the way." He nodded.

"Daybreak Town? So it's like—always daybreak or something?" Kioku shrugged.

Jimmy laughed, "Something along those lines. I also figured since this place will be me and Goddard's new home we could open up an accessory shop to make a living." The boy walked over to the robotic dog to knelt down and pet him.

"Your new home?", Kioku tilted his head slightly. "But don't people realize that you're not from here?"

Jimmy snickered, nodding at Kioku's statement. "The people here are friendly, everyone always happy and uplifting. Besides, most of this world's population is made of different people from all kinds of worlds." Jimmy explained, walking towards the window. "I sure wish _they_ could see it too."

Kioku sighed. "I hope my friends are okay too, where ever they are.."

Silence set in for a few seconds. Kioku smiled and waved. "Well, I'm gonna get going. Nice meetin' you, Jimmy!" Kioku turned away and headed for the door.

"Wait, Kioku. Be careful," Jimmy warned. "This place may be cheerful and carefree. But the Heartless do come around every once in a while. So stay on your toes."

"Got it, I'll be careful." Kioku nodded. "Thanks for the heads up."

"Alright, take care." Jimmy waved as Kioku left the shop.

* * *

 ** _-Somewhere in the 2nd District-_**

Spongebob and Patrick walked around town, looking for Link. They looked high and low, and they still haven't managed to find the man they were looking for. Spongebob lowered his head in discouragement. "Everywhere we've looked so far and we still haven't found anything." He sighed.

Patrick patted his best friend's back. "Aw, don't worry Spongebob, he'll turn up sooner or later." Spongebob sighed and raised his head, "Hope you're right Patrick. Let's keep going."

Winslow sighed. "Didn't you say that exact same statement nearly ten minutes ago?!" The small mouse shouted at Patrick, making the starfish flinch in result.

* * *

 ** _-Daybreak Town: Waterfront Park-_**

After leaving Jimmy's shop and walked around town some more, Kioku had now arrived into the more vacant part of town. It was quiet, the only sounds he could hear were the chirping of birds and the townspeople in the distance. This part of town looked like more of a park area, where one would go for a jog or just to sit and relax on the bench. Kioku looked around suspiciously before walking down a few steps. "It's awful quiet 'round here," Kioku yawned, folding his hands behind his head. "Too quiet..."

Kioku gave a quick chuckle. "Aw, what am I worried about, anyways?" He stuck his hand out and summoned his Keyblade in a flash of light. "With this weapon, I could take on a thousand of those Heartless things." Kioku bragged to himself as he gave it a few practice swings. "Besides, those thing couldn't put up a decide fight even if their lives depended on it!"

"Oh really now?" A voice echoed from afar, responding to Kioku's statement. Walking towards them was a blonde haired man, with stern blue eyes and scar in the shape of an X on his cheek. He was garbed in a blue tunic with white embroideries and under it was a white long sleeved shirt. He wore slightly baggy white trousers with the legs tucked into his brown boots, and around his neck was a green scarf. The man carried a sword that was concealed in a blue and gold sheath on his waist. "They definitely will come at you out of nowhere." The man pointed a finger at Kioku's Keyblade. "But if you continue to use that Keyblade, they won't be that much of a problem.."

"Who are you?" Kioku asked skeptically as he backed away from him.

The man shook his head. "But I don't understand, how could it have picked a kid like you?" he groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Kioku shouted loudly, "Hey! Earth to weird elf-eared guy! In case you forgot, I just asked you a question!" Kioku raised his Keyblade at the man, "And whaddaya mean, 'A kid like me?"

The man sighed, "The name's Link, and I think I'll be seeing that Keyblade for a bit." Kioku looked his his blade then at Link. "What, over my dead body, there ain't no way you're getting this!" Link smirked, putting a hand on the hilt of his blade. "So be it. Guess I'll just have to take it by force." Link unsheathed his blade, his sword looked like it was made for a master swordsman, except the blade was slightly bandaged for decor.

"Oh yeah? Then bring it on!" Kioku got in a stance with his Keyblade. "Show me watch you got!"

 ** _(Battle Theme: Brawl Before Breakfast/Early Morning Melee)_**

In the blink of an eye, Link had dashed towards Kioku with a deadly thrust from his blade, causing the boy to quickly dodge Link's second swing. Kioku hopped into the air and attacked Link with three quick strikes from his Keyblade, finishing it off with a final wallop to the face. Link grunted as he jumped back, wiping fresh blood from his mouth. "Not bad." Link chuckled with a devious smirk. Kioku sharpened his glare and retained his stance.

The elf-earred man raised his Master Sword up in the air, and in a flash of light it had transformed into a large Megaton Hammer. Kioku's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, "Oh crap!" he exclaimed as Link had begin to chase Kioku around with the hammer, threatening to crush him with it in a single swing. Link gave the hammer a quick horizontal swing and managed to sweep Kioku's feet from under him, making him fall flat on his back.

"Argh!" Kioku exclaimed as he hit the cobblestone ground with great force. Link then raised the hammer up into the air and got ready to bring it down on the young Keybearer, who let out a feminine, hi-pitched squeal and quickly rolled out of the way as the hammer crashed down onto the ground, the force of the hammer's blow making his body spring up . Link growled and transformed his weapon back into a sword. "You damn pest.."

Kioku's feet planted themselves on the ground. "What in the-", he was cut off as he quickly dodged a quick slash from Link's sword. Their blades clashed and scraped as they swung at one another. Link rolled out of the way of Kioku's quick batter-esque swing and grabbed him by the arm. "Hey! What are you-!" Link threw Kioku over his shoulder, who had quickly recovered and countered with an upward swing from his Keyblade, managing to strike the man in the chin. Link staggered backwards in pain, which gave Kioku the chance to talk.

"Alright, now that I clearly see what I'm up against. I'm gonna run for it!" Kioku turned his back and ran towards the steps. Link looked up and transformed his blade into a Clawshot, a weapon used for long-ranged enemies. "Oh no you don't!" Link yelled. He fired his Clawshot and captured Kioku. "Gotcha!"

"What?!" Kioku shouted. He was quickly and forcefully pulled back over to his opponent with great speed. Link struck Kioku in the neck and knocked him stood up and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Footsteps were heard coming towards them. "Jeez.. Link, you could've gone easy on him." A feminine voice said concerningly

Link looked up and saw that there was a young girl that looked about Kioku's age, with blue hair that was tied into a ponytail, holding a large book.

"Why go easy if the wielder's already strong. Right, Lana?" Link smirked. He sighed and looked down at Kioku's unconscious body. "Besides, I think things got worse..a lot worse."

* * *

 ** _\- Daybreak Town: 3rd District-_**

Spongebob and Patrick explored the more deserted part of town, still in search of Link. "Gee Spongebob, no one's around. It's pretty scary!" Patrick said timidly, shaking with fear.

"Are you kidding, I'm not scared at all!" Spongebob said bravely, puffing out his chest. Then, a woman's hand reached out and touched his shoulder, making the sponge exclaim in fear and hide behind Patrick. "Pardon me, but did the king send you by any chance?" The woman asked. They both turned to look at her. She was flawlessly beautiful, her brunette hair was tied into a low ponytail, with two from pieces of hair decorated with strings of ribbon tied around them. She wore a purple and white dress with brown boots with long white gloves.

"Who are you?" Patrick asked, his cheeks colored a faint red. "My name is Zelda, and I can tell you everything you need to know."

Spongebob walked from behind Patrick, looking up at the woman. "You can tell us about the king's whereabouts?" Zelda nodded, "Come, let's retire somewhere and talk."

* * *

 ** _-Daybreak Town: Inn-_**

Kioku lied on the bed completely unconscious. His Keyblade sat against the wall right next to Link, who was leaning against the wall with his arms folded. Lana poked at Kioku's cheek. "Rise n' shine." She muttered softly, with no reply. Lana lightly smacked his cheek, hoping to wake him up this time. She sighed with impatience.

"You really got him good, Link." Lana smiled mischievously and pulled out her Deku staff. She looked back at Link, waiting for permission.

"Shall I?" Lana asked, batting her eyelashes. Link opened one eye with a smirk, "Do it.."

Lana smirked, raising her staff and quickly slamming it down on Kioku's head, making him jump up quickly and hold his head in pain.

"Ouch!" Kioku yelled out in pain as he looked in all directions. " _Good_ , you're awake. Y'know, to be honest you're kind of a cute sleeper." Lana teased, giving Kioku a flirtatious wink. "All jokes aside, you feelin' alright?" She questioned.

The boy shook his head, "I guess.." he responded, his vision still pretty hazy. "Those creatures that attacked you are after the Keyblade." Lana explained, pointing to the Guardian Locker that sat over by Link. "But it's actually your heart they're after, since you wield the Keyblade."

To Kioku, the girl that was speaking to him was Taiyo, since his mind was still a bit fuzzy. "Wow..I'm so glad you're safe Taiyo."

" _Taiyo_? Sorry, but my name is Lana." Kioku's mind had finally cleared up, and the image of Taiyo was washed from his minf and was replaced with Lana's.

"Link, you were too rough with him." Lana spun around, pouting at the older man. "He's having _hallucinations_."

Link scowled back at her, "I was not, he tried to run so I knocked him out. I couldn't let him get away."

Kioku looked over at his Keyblade, reaching out to it. "My..Keyblade.."

"Yup," Lana nodded. "We had to confiscate it from you to shake those creatures off. And come to think of it, that's how they were finding you." She explained.

Link chimed in, "It was the only way to conceal your heart from them. Unfortunately, it won't work for long." Link said as he walked over and picked up Kioku's Keyblade. "Still, it's hard to believe that you of all people are the chosen one." Link spun the blade once, in a flash of light the Keyblade disappeared from Link's hand and appeared back into Kioku's. Link shrugged, "Well, suppose beggars can't be choosers, right?"

"Why don't you two start making some sense! What's going on?" Kioku asked, his voice lowering into a serious tone as his eyes narrowed at the two.

* * *

 ** _-Daybreak Town: Inn Lobby-_**

"Okay, you know there are other worlds out there besides this one and your castle, right?" Zelda asked.

"Oh yeah," Spongebob nodded. "Of course!"

"But it's supposed to be secret.." Patrick whispered, covering his mouth.

"They've been secret because they've never been connected..until now." Zelda explained. "When the Heartless came, everything changed."

* * *

 ** _-The Inn: Room-_**

"Heartless? You mean those creepy black creatures with those glowing yellow eyes, long ugly antennas, disgustingly sharp claws too?" Kioku asked, adding a description of the monsters. "That Jimmy kid told me about them!"

"They're the ones that attacked you." Lana nodded.

"Those without hearts." Link added.

"It's the darkness in people's hearts- that's what attracts them." Lana explained.

"And darkness sleeps within every heart." Link said, touching his chest. "By the way, every heard of a man named _Vlad Plasmius_?"

* * *

 ** _-Inn: Lobby-_**

"Vlad Plasmius?" Spongebob questioned as his eyes fixed on Patrick, who shrugged in response.

"He was a scientist used to study ghosts, then he shifted his research over to Heartless." Zelda explained. "He recorded all of his findings in a highly detailed report."

"Do you have it?" Patrick asked politely. Zelda shook her head sadly, "It's pages are scattered everywhere." She sighed.

"Scattered as in like, lost?" Spongebob asked.

"To many worlds." Zelda nodded.

"Oh, oh, I know, I know! Maybe the king went to go find them all!" Patrick suggested cheerfully, with Spongebob nodding in agreement.

"Yes, my thoughts exactly!" Zelda smiled.

"Then we'd better find him!" Patrick exclaimed as he turned to Spongebob.

"Hold it right there!" Spongebob objected loudly. "We need that 'key' before we go looking for anything."

"Ah yes. The Keyblade." Zelda nodded.

* * *

 _ **-Inn: Room-**_

"So this is the key?" Kioku asked as he held up his Keyblade.

"Correct, you're catching on pretty fast." Lana nodded with a smile.

"Those Heartless have tremendous fear over the Keyblade." Link explained as he turned his back, "Which is why they'll keep coming after you, no matter what."

"Well...I didn't ask for this for," Kioku sighed, just before looking at his Keyblade again. "But i'm not complaining either."

"The Keyblade chooses it's master, so it chose you." Lana said, lightly poking Kioku's nose causing the boy to flinch.

"So..tough luck." Link leaned back up against the wall and folded his arms.

"How did all this even happen?" Kioku asked himself. "I remember being in my room."

Kioku gasped, jumping up from the bed "Hold up! What happened to my town, what happened to my friends? Yoru! Taiyo!"

"You know what? I really don't know.." Link replied with a shrug. "But, what I do know is that the Heartless will find you sooner or later. You'd best get prepared."

"Get prepared? This is all the preparation I need, right?" Kioku asked as he held up his Keyblade.

"True," Link responded as he started to walk over to Kioku. He put his hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes with a serious glare, making the teen swallow nervously. "But are you ready to fight for your life?" Link asked. What it really _that_ serious? Link made it seem like these Heartless things seem super dangerous. But since Kioku was scared at Link's intimidated glare he just gulped and nodded.

"Alright. Lana, let's go join Zelda. She should be in the lobby with the other visitors." Link ordered.

"Whoa! Link!" Lana screamed as a Heartless had suddenly appeared right in front of her. It was armored, and had an emblem on it's chest. Lana got ready to smash it with her huge Book of Sorcery. "You stupid, ugly.."

"Lana, no time. We gotta leave!" Link yelled as he unsheathed his blade.. "Darn." Lana cursed under her breath. She quickly stormed out of the room and raced down to the lobby.

"Kioku, let's go!" He ordered. Link charged and kicked the Heartless right out the window. Link jumped out after it, and Kioku shrugged to himself and hopped out of the window as well. The two of them stood back to back while a dozen Heartless surrounded them. More Heartless emerged from the ground, and they had started to grow rapidly in numbers. Kioku had then regretted his choice. "L-Link!" the teen yelled in fear.

"Don't bother with the small fry, go and find the leader!" Link ordered. He then made his way out by mowing down some Heartless with his blade to make a path. Kioku gripped his Guardian Locker and charged into the streets.

* * *

 **(INFORMATION: Defeat all of the Heartless while making your way to the Clock Tower Plaza!)**

 **(Battle Music: Night of Fate)**

Kioku ran and swung his Keyblade at the some of the Heartless, vaporizing them as captive hearts floated into the sky. He quickly dodged out of a Soldier's attack and retaliated with a few swats from his Keyblade and finished him off with a quick slash. He ventured further into town and saw the townspeople scattered out of the way as the Heartless appeared. Kioku leaped into the air and slammed his Keyblade into a large group of Shadows that dared to attack them. "Back off!"

He then looked around as more Heartless emerged, "Crap, I need to find the leader of this thing before anything bad happens to this town!" Kioku uttered to himself. He heaved his Keyblade over his shoulder and quickly ran further into town.

* * *

 _ **-Daybreak Town: Clock Tower Plaza-**_

When Kioku arrived, he saw that the area was vacant since all of the townspeople had taken shelter inside to prevent being attacked by any Heartless. After a few minutes of sitting under the tall Clock Tower, Kioku got up and started walking out. "I thought I sensed something here..guess not.." Kioku sighed as he turned his back and started walking resting his Keyblade on his shoulder.

* * *

 ** _-Meanwhile-_**

After running from the Heartless at the Inn, Spongebob and Patrick found themselves hopping from rooftop to rooftop to escape the Heartless that were lurking on the ground. They soon came to a dead end. "Tartar sauce..." Spongebob muttered.

"You mean there's no where left to run?!" Patrick shouted.

"Stay calm, Patrick. I've got it all under control." Spongebob said confidently as he twirled his staff cockily. A Soldier, a Heartless that branded with an emblem, materialized in front of them.

"Spongebob! It's a H-Heartless!" Patrick squealed in fear. "Easy now. It's only one, a little magic and the little guy is history." Spongebob cheesed, readying himself. It appeared that the emblem Heartless had called on some Shadows, those of the pureblood breed. Spongebob's cheesy smile dropped to a nervous chuckle "Uh..heh.."

Patrick summoned his two dual shields "Twin Busters". "That's it, no more runnin'!" Patrick growled as he glared at the enemies.

"Patrick?" Spongebob gasped, shocked at his friend's sudden change in attitude. "If we're gonna die, then we're gonna go out like men!" Patrick gritted his teeth. "Yeah, I'm right there with ya, buddy!" Spongebob nodded.

"Here, try this on for size!" Spongebob shouted as he spun his staff and fired a ball of flames at the group of Heartless, but the explosion from the spell had knocked the two off of the rooftop, causing them to fall into the Clock Tower Plaza. Kioku looked up to see if Heartless had something to do with the explosion, but he only saw a sponge and a starfish falling towards him.

"What in the hell?!" Kioku screamed as he attempted to run. But he was squashed as the two came crashing right on top of him. They all moaned in pain, but Spongebob and Patrick noticed the weapon in Kioku's hand. "The Key!" They gasped in unison.

The ground had began to shake, and forming in front of them was a large, menacing looking Heartless. It looked like an Iguana, but had glowing yellow eyes and black, razor sharp claws and a long, and dangerously scaly tail. It was a deep purple color and had the Heartless emblem right on it's chest. The large Heartless roared, making the sun in Daybreak Town fall and emit a curse-filled night. The three scattered up to their feet. "This must be the leader!" Kioku said as he got into a stance with his Keyblade.

"The leader of what?" Spongebob asked. "Maybe this is what's causing the little Heartless to around town. And If we take it out, we can restore both daylight and peace to the town!" Patrick theorized. "Patrick, I think that's the smartest thing you've said the whole time we've been here." Spongebob said, readying his staff.

The Heartless roared loudly, bearing it's teeth at the three. "No time to chat! It's getting ready to charge!" Kioku yelled.

* * *

 _ **Winslow's Journal  
**_

 _ ***Link:**_ _A man who resides in Daybreak Town. He, alongside Zelda and Lana, know of the King's disappearance and the 'key_ '. **_He made his debut as the hero of "The Legend of Zelda" (1986)_**

 ** _*Zelda:_** _A princess who resides in Daybreak Town. She discusses about Vlad Plasmius and the Keyblade with Spongebob and Patrick only minutes before the Heartless attack. **She was the damsel in distress in "The Legend of Zelda" (1986).**_ _  
_

 _ ***Lana:** A young, energetic sorceress who resides in Daybreak Town. She, along with Link, discuss about Vlad Plasmius and the Keyblade with Kioku just minutes before the Heartless attack. **She was a great heroine in "Hyrule Warriors" (2014).**  
_

 _ **CHANGES: Patrick's axe sword "Boulder Buster", has been replaced with two small dual shields, "Twin Busters". These shields are identical to the shields the Buckle Bruiser Unversed use in Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep.**_


	5. Chapter 4: All for One

**_Chapter 4: All for One and One for All!_**

 **(INFORMATION: Defeat the Heartless!)**

 **(Battle Music: Shrouding Dark Cloud)**

Kioku rolled out of the way as Nightcrawler swung it's large tail around. Spongebob charged at the Nightcrawler and casted a Thunder spell, making lightning bolts rain down on the Heartless. Kioku then spun around and slashed the large Heartless in the arm, making it screech loudly in pain. Patrick slammed his twin shields in the ground, making a large piece of earth spring up, then he punched it towards the Heartless and once the large slab of earth crashed into the Heartless, it staggered. While it was stunned, Kioku ran up to it and smacked it around a couple of times with his Keyblade, dealing additional damage.

Nightcrawler had then recovered, and it clawed at Kioku in retaliation. Jolts of unexplainable pain filled his body as the razor sharp claws came in contact with his skin. "AAGGH!" Kioku flew back and hit the ground. Spongebob gasped as he noticed the downed Key bearer in pain. "Patrick, hold off the Heartless, I'm gonna try to heal this boy!"

"Roger!" Patrick nodded, he the charged at Nightcrawler. "Now, don't you give up on us!" Spongebob cheered, raising his staff into the air emitting a bright green light and small green leaves at the end of his staff. He used a cure spell Kioku, which washed way all of his wounds. The teen jumped up and glared at the monster. "Why that little.." Kioku growled.

"Let's get 'em!" Spongebob smiled at Kioku, giving him a thumbs up. The two nodded to each other and both ran towards Nightcrawler and began to attack it in unison. Kioku danced around the Heartless, striking it constantly with his Keyblade while Spongebob bludgeoned it with with staff. Patrick called out to the both of them. "Out of the way, you two! This one's personal!"

Patrick jumped up into the air and got ready to attack. Nightcrawler then shielded itself and then became invisible. Patrick's eyes widen and he fell flat to the ground "Hey, where'd it go?!" They all looked around, it was no where to be found.

"Did it run away?" Kioku asked. Spongebob shrugged at the boy, "I dunno, the sky's still-" Then Spongebob felt a large fist crash right into his back and sent him flying. "Waaah!"

"Spongebob!" Patrick called out in shock. "It's hidden itself! Try to find it!" Kioku ordered loudly. Patrick looked around and he found a distorted, invisible outline of the Heartless. He then charged at the monster, "Gotcha!" Patrick yelled as he punched the the invisible being, right before slamming his shields down into the ground, making Nightcrawler launched up into the air. Kioku readied his Keyblade, "Here goes nothing.." he ran over to Patrick from behind and jumped onto his shoulders. Patrick boosted Kioku up to the Heartless and watched as he quickly slashed through Nightcrawler swiftly. The two both landed onto the ground. Nightcrawler screeched loudly in defeat, it then fell to the ground wearily. It slowly disappeared in eerie, dark mist and emerging from it was a large captive heart that floated into the sky. Kioku panted heavily and wiped his forehead. The sky reverted back to it's early morning appearance. Spongebob and Patrick ran up to Kioku and cheered happily. Coming into the Plaza was Link, Lana and Zelda. "Hey! You three alright?" Link asked them as he approached them. The three nodded. Kioku turned to Spongebob and Patrick.

"So, you guys we're looking for me?" Kioku questioned, gesturing to himself. Spongebob and Patrick nodded.

"They, too, have been seeking the wielder of the Keyblade." Link said.

"Hey, why don't come with us?" Spongebob suggested, "We can go to other worlds on our vessel!" he offered. Patrick nodded in agreement. Kioku lowered his head, "I wonder if can find Yoru and Taiyo.."

Patrick patted Kioku on the back, "Or course you will, buddy!" Kioku raised his head and smiled.

Spongebob pulled Patrick aside. "Are you sure?" he asked in a whisper

"I dunno," Patrick shrugged. "But we need him to find the king, right?" Link stepped forward. "Kioku, go with them. Especially if you want to find your friends."

"Yeah..I guess." He said sadly. "But under one condition." Spongebob started, "You cannot come along if you're going to be looking like that, okay?" Spongbob said, referring to Kioku's sadden look on his face. "No frowning. No sad face, okay?"

"Yeah, ya gotta look funny!" Patrick laughed. "This ship runs on happy faces." Spongebob smiled.

"Oh..." Kioku uttered sadly. Then, he put on an over the top, cheesy smile, making everyone become silent. Spongebob and Patrick then busted out and laughed loudly. "That's one funny face."

Kioku nodded, "Sure. I'll go with you guys!" he smiled.

"I'm Spongebob Squarepants," Spongebob introduced himself, putting his hand out. "My name is Patrick Star," Patrick stated, putting his hand on top of Spongebob's.

"And I'm Kioku," Kioku smiled, placing his hand on top on Patrick's.

"Hey, where'd my hand go?" Patrick panicked in worry. "All for one, and one for all!" Spongebob cheered.

* * *

 ** _-Meanwhile, in another world far from this one-_**

A group of mysterious people from different worlds, mostly notorious to be troublemakers all gathered around a table to discuss the event that had just taken place.

"That snot-nosed brat took down that Heartless." A small plankton spoke. "Who'd thought it?"

"Such is the power of the Keyblade. The child's strength is quite impressive, if erm..uh..i say so myself." A small, elderly professor said.

"How about we turn the squirt into a Heartless, That might set things straight." A large King-like Koopa suggested.

"And his friends are also that cheapskate of a king's lackeys. Such imbecilic beings." A Dark Lord said.

"Enough." A masculine voice said. "The Keyblade has chosen him, will it be he who conquers the darkness? Or will the darkness swallow him?" A ghostly man, who looked to be in his 40s, smiled malevolently. "Either way, he could be quite useful."

"Men, I also welcome a new heart that has fallen to darkness." Vlad announce. "Vicky.." Vicky walked into the room and smirked at the villains at the roundtable. She wore a long sleeved fishnet shirt under her green midriff top, with baggy black pants that was held up with a black belt, the buckle was designed as a Heartless emblem. On her hands were fingerless fishnet gloves, and she also wore green sneakers. "How's it goin'?" She waved, "Pleasure to be of service to you, twerps." Vicky laughed maniacally.

"She's only a teenaged brat!" Bowser exclaimed. "We already have one brat to deal with, why do we need another one on our side?" Bowser yelled.

"F.Y.I, _fatso_ ," Vicky started. "I've managed to plunge my world into darkness without much effort. That bucktoothed twerp and his dorky friends should be sleeping soundly in the dark void. So, unless you want to join them I suggest you treat your new second in-command with respect." Vicky passive aggressively stated, sticking her tongue out at Bowser.

* * *

 ** _-Daybreak Town: Shopping District-_**

Link, Lana and Zelda stood in front of Kioku. "You might need some things before you head out." Link said. "H-Here..take these Rupees." Lana walked up to Kioku and shoved a bag into his hands. The bug contained 5000 rupees. She had a faint blush on her face in which she tried to hide from the boy. "Spend it as how you see fit." Zelda said.

"Thanks guys," Kioku smiled. He then turned to look at the young sorceress "And Lana, are you okay."

"Shut it, before I hit you again." Lana gripped her huge book tightly. Kioku laughed at the flustered girl. He turned to his teammates.

"So, wanna get some things before we head out?" Kioku asked. "Yeah, we wanna be extra prepared." Spongebob agreed. They then went around to various shops and bought up a lot of helpful items that the three would need on their journey. They returned to the Gummi Ship.

"Here Kioku, take this." Spongebob touched Kioku's Keyblade with his staff. Kioku's Keyblade began to burn in his hand, "HOT! Hot!" Kioku exclaimed in pain.

 _ **{You've obtained the power of fire. You've learned the Fire spell!}**_

"You've just learned your first spell. Now you can use magic, just like me!" Spongebob smiled. "Alright, now let's head out. We can't waste anymore time." Patrick ordered.

They all entered the Gummi Ship, Kioku sat in the back while Spongebob and Patrick sat in the front. The ship took off into the Lanes in Between, to get to the first world they get to visit.

* * *

 _ **-?: ?-**_

Yoru woke up in what seem to be a place of ruins, surrounded by a wall of flowing water. He was resting on a cobblestone platform. Yoru stood up and brushed himself off. He looked around for Kioku and Yoru. "KIOKU!" Yoru he called out. "TAIYO!"

The boy clenched his fists and fell to his knees. He punched the ground in anger as he was separated from his friends. In the distance was a ghostly presence. A ghost man dressed in a white suit and cape, looked out at Yoru from a distance. A smirk stretched across his face as began to approach him.

* * *

 _ **Winslow's Journal**_

 _ ***Kioku:**_ _A spirited youth. He was cast into an unknown world when a swarm of Heartless raided his peaceful town. He battles the Heartless with a mysterious weapon called the Keyblade as he searches for his friends Taiyo and Yoru with the help of Spongebob and Patrick._

 ** _*Nightcrawler:_** _A Heartless that emerged in the plaza of Daybreak Town._ _It somehow manipulated the light to turn invisible and even managed to change the environment of world.  
_


	6. Chapter 5: The Heartless Mystery

**_Chapter 5: The Heartless Mystery_**

 _(Based on The Mystery File of Shelby Woo: Eye of the Storm)_

 _ ***New: The world name has been changed.**_

 ** _-Town of Mysteries: Beachside-_**

 **(Field Theme: The Mystery Begins)**

Once they arrived in the atmosphere of the world, they were met with very heavy rain and super strong winds, that made it difficult for the ship to fly properly. Despite this, Kioku was nearly bouncing out of his seat since he was actually venturing out to see different worlds. "Oh man! This is so cool!"

Patrick looked back at the teen boy, "What do you mean?" He asked, which made Kioku smile harder.

"I still can't believe it!" Kioku squealed. "I'm in _another_ world!"

Spongebob turned back to look at the boy with a serious stare, "Kioku, this isn't a field trip. This is serious business!" The sponge scolded. Kioku folded his arms and rolled his eyes. "Aw c'mon, you can't tell me you're not excited about visiting a world you've never been to!" Kioku said with a smile.

"Yeah Spongebob," Patrick added. "I'm sorta excited about going to other worlds too!"

Spongebob whined, "Aww Patrick, not you too.." Suddenly, the Gummi Ship swung around in the wild winds of a hurricane. "Whoa!" Kioku shouted as he nearly fell over from the force of the wind. "What's with this world, I can't land right!" Spongebob shouted as he tried his best to land the ship on the ground, but the winds kept blowing them in every which way. The winds shoved the Gummi Ship into an alleyway, and the force caused the three of them to pop right out of it. They hit the ground, the rain poured down on them heavily. This world that they were in looked really different. It wasn't really as bright and colorful as Daybreak Town. They all managed to stand up and bear themselves against the wind. "Must be a storm goin' on." Kioku said as he looked around. "C'mon, let's go find shelter."

"Hold on," Spongebob said as he halted Kioku from walking. "We forgot to address the rules of going to differents worlds, tell him Pat." Spongebob said.

"Rules? Oh, the rules! We can't muddle around in other people's business!"

"Meddle." Spongebob corrected his friend.

Patrick nodded with a smile. "Yup, that's against the rules."

Kioku folded his arms. "Then where are we gonna go?" He questioned. "We can't just stay here stranded in the middle of a storm!"

Patrick nodded in agreement. "I dunno Spongebob, I think he's is right."

"See!" Kioku exclaimed loudly, "Even the starfish agrees with me!"

Spongebob rolled his eyes, finally giving in to the thought of meddling, "Fine, you two have a point. But I'm not telling King Krabs that we meddled around while we were here." He said with narrowed eyes. Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick ran out of the alleyways and almost immediately Heartless appeared right in front of them, most of them were Shadows and Soldiers. But there were another type, they looked identical Soldiers but had the look of a police officer. They wielded a long revolver in one hand and handcuffs in the other.

Kioku called to his Keyblade and got into a stance, "Uh oh, we've got trouble!" He said as he glared at the Heartless.

 **(Battle Music: Troublesome Obstruction)**

Kioku lunged out at the Heartless and swiped at a few, vaporizing them within a couple of hits. Spongebob dodged out of the way as one of the Patroler Heartless fired their guns at him and the sponge cast a Fire in retaliation, making Kioku rush in and vaporize them with a few strikes. Patrick spun around with his dual shields, destroying any Heartless that were caught in the attack and pummeled any Heartless that leaped at him.

More Heartless appeared in front of them and had began to zero in on them. Kioku calmly concentrated as heat took over his body and his Keyblade had started to feel extremely hot as if something was burning it. The teen pointed his weapon at the group of Heartless, " _ **FIRE!**_ " He shouted as he shot a flurry of fireballs at them and nearly vaporized the majority of the group with a small explosion of fire with small hearts floated up from the destroyed Heartless.

Kioku looked around for any other Heartless, and his eyes caught on to a moderately sized building with a sign in the front that read, "Easterly Breeze Inn." The lights were on inside of the Inn, meaning that maybe some people were taking shelter within it. "Yo," Kioku called out to Spongebob and Patrick. "I found us a place to stay for a while." He gestured towards the Inn. The three of them quickly made haste towards the entrance of the Inn. They all stood in front of the door and looked at each other. Kioku looked at the sponge, who was hesitating to knock. "You gonna knock?"

Spongebob turned to Kioku, "I'm pretty sure there's other places we could go to get out of the rain. He said, which made Kioku groan in annoyance. "Didn't you just agree with us that you wanted to get out of the storm too, just knock already!" Kioku yelled as he pointed to the door.

Spongebob glared at Kioku, arguing back. "Well I'm just still worried about-" He was then interrupted by the force of the hurricane's winds forcefully shoving the three into the Inn.

* * *

 ** _-Town of Mysteries: Easterly Breeze Inn-_**

"Whaa!" Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick crashed into the Inn, landing face first on the floor and the wind pulled the door back and slammed it shut. They all stood up and moaned in pain. Kioku shook his head and looked up only to see a man who was wearing a backwards baseball cap in front of a camera. The man whipped around as he heard the commotion. "What in the-"

The three stood up and brushed themselves off. Patrick rubbed his head, "Who pushed us in?" He asked his two companions. Running in from a hallway was an asian teenage girl who looked a little bit older than Kioku and a caucasian teenage boy. "What was that?" She asked.

The boy gave the three a weird stare, "And who are you guys?" He asked. Kioku was speechless as this was the first time he actually saw the residents of another world. They looked so _weird_..and _tall_. Or was Kioku just short? He didn't have anything clever to say. All he knew was is that he and his friends were meddling and that some weird force just shoved them inside. "Uh..I guess the wind blew us in. Heh.." Kioku stuttered, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"Yeah, what he said." Patrick said, gesturing to Kioku.

"Oh, well that's weird. Well, at least you're not out in the storm anymore." The girl smiled politely. She bowed her head lightly, "My name is Shelby Woo, my grandfather owns this Inn."

The boy introduced himself. "'How's it going guys, I'm Noah." He waved.

"My name is Kioku." The teen stated. "These two are Spongebob and Patrick." Kioku gestured to his friends standing on both sides of him. The man in the baseball cap rushed over to Kioku and grabbed his hand, shaking it really hard and firmly. "How could it not introduce myself, My name is Chase Cavanaugh. I'm a hurricane hunter!"

Kioku gave Chase an uncomfortable look. "Uhh... _hey_?"

Chase took out a pen and notepad from his pocket, "You guys mind answering a few questions for my senior thesis?" He asked.

"Wait, let's not overwhelm them." Shelby shook her head, "Plus, we have to evacuate in ten minutes." She added. "Well, maybe you're up for a little Q & A, huh?" Chase picked up his video camera and started to film Shelby. "This is Shelby Woo, who lives here at Easterly Breeze. Tell me, what are you doing right now?" Chase questioned as he started to interview the girl.

Shelby became slightly flustered. "Uh,"

"Well it's obvious that you're carrying a piece of plywood but, why are you carrying it?" Chase interrupted as Shelby was about to answer.

As Shelby got ready to answer, Chase interrupted yet again. "Oh I know, you're gonna take it outside, board up the windows, make sure no water comes in during the evacuation right?" Shelby waited to see if Chase would interrupt again, but he didn't this time. "Y-Yes." Shelby answered, nodding her head.

Chase smiled and cut off his camera, "Ok, great! That's all I'm gonna need for now, but I will have more questions later."

"I can hardly wait." Shelby sighed. The thunder boomed outside of the building, which Chase got pretty excited about it and went away to go see it.

Kioku turned to Shelby and snickered, "Next time, he might let you answer a few questions." the boy joked.

"He's no Oprah, but he sure knows a lot about hurricanes." Shelby laughed. "Gee, I wonder what you do if you come near one." Patrick tapped his chin in thought.. "There's only one thing you need to know," Noah started. "Where ever they go, you go the other way.".

From the back door of the Inn, two girls came in holding gallons of waters. "Here's the water from the shelter." One of the girls announced.

"They sent about three gallons per person." The other girl added. One of the girls got a look at Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick, "I wonder if it'll be enough.."

Shelby looked over to her two friends. "Oh right, you haven't met them yet." Shelby introduced her friends, "Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick. Meet Cindy and Melanie." The three of them waved awkwardly. Cindy was a dark skinned girl with her curly hair tied into two side ponytails, while Melanie was lighter in complexion and had straighter, dark hair. "Hi there," Cindy smiled. She then groaned as she struggled to hold up the water for much longer. "This water is so heavy that I feel like I'm carrying enough for half the state."

"Here let me help you with that." Noah offered, taking the water from Melanie's hands and placing it on the table which made Cindy give the boy a look. "Thanks," Melanie smiled. Noah nodded. "You shouldn't carry that much, it's bad for your back and stuff."

Cindy sucked her teeth, "I'll try to be more careful.." She said sarcastically. "Is there anything else I could do?" Melanie asked Shelby.

"See if you can get Ms. Gutherie to hurry up." Shelby ordered. "I'll threaten her if I have to." Melanie said metaphorically before heading upstairs.

"I'll go get more water from the patio," Cindy stated. "..and no Noah, I don't need any help. Thanks for offering." Cindy said sarcastically. "Say Sponge-dude, wanna help me with the jugs outside?"

Spongebob shrugged, "Sure thing. Patrick, you wanna come?" Patrick nodded, "Okay."

Spongebob, Patrick and Cindy all went outside to the patio to get the jugs of water. Leaving Kioku with Shelby and Noah. "Guess you're stuck with us, Kioku." Noah shrugged.

"Looks like it," the teen smiled. "What should I do to help?" Kioku asked.

"You could help us put up some plywood so that the water doesn't get in." Shelby said as she gestured towards the plywood sitting on the couch.

Kioku nodded. "Okay, let's go."

* * *

 ** _-Town of Mysteries: Stormy Streets-_**

It was five minutes after Kioku had started to help put up plywood with Noah and Shelby, and then suddenly out of nowhere the Heartless appeared. Noah and Shelby jumped back in fear, "Whoa! What are those things?" The boy exclaimed. It was a few Soldiers and the Patroller Heartless from earlier. Kioku gasped. "Heartless!" He whipped out his hand and called to his Keyblade.

"It's coming straight for us!" Shelby shrieked as she backed away even farther. Kioku ran in front of the two to protect them and got into a stance with his weapon. "Noah, Shelby.. you guys keep putting up plywood, I'll take these things out."

"Got it!" Shelby said.

"Make sure those monster don't touch us, man!" Noah shouted.

* * *

 **(INFORMATION: Defend Shelby and Noah while they board the windows!)**

 **(Battle Music: Rowdy Rumble)**

Kioku quickly struck down a couple of Heartless to give the other two time to board up the windows. Kioku twisted and spun his Keyblade, slashing through and vaporizing more of the Heartless. More Heartless emerged into the battle, and this time they headed for Shelby and Noah. "Look out!" Kioku shouted as he quickly did a sliding dash and stopped the monsters in their path, and terminated them with an explosive Fire spell. The wind kept blowing and a new Emblem Heartless emerged from the wind, called an Emerald Blues. The Emerald blues surrounded itself with vacuum blades and charged at Shelby. She looked back and shrieked with terror as she saw the monster flying towards her. Kioku quickly intercepted the Heartless with a swift strike from his Keyblade and followed up with another flurry of hits as he felt himself slight rise up from the ground. The teen spun around and smacked the Emerald Blues away with another smack from his Keyblade and vaporized it.

"Just one more window." Noah announced. "Keep up the good work!"

Shadows then emerged from the ground and trotted towards the Key bearer, who quickly made work of them with a few swings and swats. After the boards were up, Shelby ran and pulled at Kioku's hood. "Kioku! Let's go!" She shouted over the wind. The three quickly ran into the Inn and escaped the Heartless.

* * *

 ** _-Town of Mysteries: Eastery Inn-_**

After returning inside, they saw that everyone inside of the Inn was ready to evacuate. Kioku eased through the small crowd of people and joined Spongebob and Patrick. Seeing that everybody in the Inn are all together, Shelby decided to make an announcement. "Everyone, my grandfather should be back any moment, and we'll be going to the shelter immediately once he arrives."

"Hold it.." A man's voice interrupted, coming into the door. The man was a detective with balding hair, with a badge attached to his collared shirt. "No one's going to the shelter.." Shelby tilted her head, "Detective Hineline?" she said as she raised her voice into a question..

"Wait, what do you mean?" Patrick asked. "Is the storm going away?"

"Nope," Hineline shook his head. "The hurricanes moving a lot faster than we expected, so they closed the bridges for caution." He then explained.

Kioku folded his arms behind his head, "What does that mean exactly?" the teen asked. "That means that we're gonna be waiting for the storm right here." Hineline answered, pointing to floor. "And if that's not enough, people have been calling into the station, talking about seeing some mysterious glowy yellow eyed monsters appearing out of nowhere. Some say that they attacked them." Hineline explained, mentioning the Heartless. "Sounds like somethin' out of a horror movie."

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick's hearts jumped and they looking around nervously. "Yeah, we saw some of them outside when we we're putting up plywood." Noah said as he patted Kioku on the back. "But this kid handled it. He took care of those monster with some sort of weapon that was shaped like a key."

"Yeah." Kioku nodded in agreement. "They attacked when I was helping Shelby and Noah put up plywood.

"Really?" Hineline folded his arms. "Lemme see this, 'key weapon' if you don't mind," the detective said, walking towards the teen. Kioku looked over at Spongebob, who was signaling him not to show him the Keyblade. But Hineline was looking at Kioku with a very unintentionally scary look, and Noah pretty much already mentioned Kioku fighting the Heartless. So there was really no choice. Kioku stuck his hand out and summoned his Keyblade. Hineline's eyes widen and the people around them start whispering in awe. "Jeez kid, how big is your front door?" Hineline joked.

"Nevermind any of that! How is my grandfather, he was taking a van load of senior citizens to the shelter." Shelby said in worry.

"Oh, I talked to him and he got there just fine and so far he hasn't run into any of those monsters," Hineline explained, which made Shelby sigh with relied knowing that her grandfather was okay. "But unfortunately, he can't make it back across the bridge. And he said that you were in charge of the Inn."

Shelby turned to her friends, including Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick. "What?!" She whispered in shock. "I told him it was in good hands and if you need any help, I'm here." Hineline nodded to the girl. Chase, who was monitoring the Hurricane's status, updated them on it. "Guys, the pressure's dropping, it's coming fast." Shelby sighed just as the others began to complain.

"We can't stay, how can you protect us a couple of pieces of plywood?" Alexander, an elderly magician said in anger.

"The brochure never said nothin' about any monsters attacking us!" Said Gina, the magician's wife.

"This is completely unacceptable!" Gurtherie complained. Spongebob came to a scary realization. He quickly pulled his two partners aside. "Guys, if this hurricane doesn't stop soon, our Gummi Ship could be destroyed and we could possibly be stranded here for I dunno how long."

"Oh no! Then we won't be able to find the King!" Patrick whined. "Or my friends!" Kioku whispered in fear. Hineline snapped his fingers repeatedly making the room of noisy complaints quiet down, "Hey, hey! Next one to complain is gonna spend the storm in a tent." The man raised his voice. "So stop whining and don't blame Shelby for the hurricane or the monsters, got it?"

"I'll go set the fridge on high so that the food doesn't go bad when the power goes out." Melanie said as she started rushing to the kitchen. "I'll go fill up the bathtub with water," Cindy said. "What?" Shelby said confusingly.

"Drinking water. We can't have too much!" Cindy nodded before running off to the bathroom.

"We're running out of plywood, so I'm thinking that the shutters will be enough on the porch windows." Noah suggested. "Right!" Shelby nodded.

Kioku gave a cheerful smile, "And we'll be the security. We'll eliminate any Heartless we see in the Inn." He said, making Spongebob and Patrick nod in agreement. "Great! we'll really need your help, Kioku." Shelby smiled.

"You can count on us!" Spongebob said as he gave a firm salute. Alexander nodded, "And I'll help store the video gear,"

As Alexander went to go at the video gear, Chase quickly stopped him in his tracks. "Hey, Hey! Don't touch my stuff, this is very sensitive equipment."

"All right! Just trying to help!" Alexander said, backing off."Oh yeah? Well don't." Chase said harshly as he shooed the man away. Hineline rolled his eyes, "This is gonna be pleasant, we got a couple of circus clowns as security." He sighed.

Gurtherie tapped Shelby on the shoulder, "Excuse me, I need to put another piece of jewelry in the safe, please."

"No problem," Shelby said. She then lead Gurtherie over to a hidden safe near the entrance. As Shelby opened the safe, she noticed that the first piece of jewelry of Gurtherie's, a watch, was gone. "Wait a minute.." Shelby uttered.

"What? Something the matter?" Gurtherie questioned. "Your watch.." Shelby said nervously.

"What about it?!" Gurtherie asked frantically. Shelby turned to Gurtherie. "It's gone."

Gurtherie began to rant angrily. "That watch is worth over 20,000 dollars!" Shelby shrugged. "I don't know how this could happen. My grandfather and I are the only ones who know the combination." Kioku chimed in, "Are you sure you locked it?"

"Absolutely!" Shelbly replied. "We all saw her do it," Cindy agreed.

"And all of you were in the room?" Hineline said. Everyone nodded at the detective. Hineline sighed and walked over to Shelby. "Okay, tell me what happened Shelby,"

"Okay," Shelby started, "I was putting new batteries in the flashlight, when Ms. Gutherie came over and asked me to put her watch in the safe,"

"Was anybody near by?" Spongebob interrupted. "Me," Melanie responded. "I wanted to look at the watch and Ms. Gutherie let me try it on."

"Show me where you were standing." Hineline said. Melanie revealed that she was standing over by the desk. Gina chuckled. "Uh Uh..No, my dear.." Gina stood up, "If you were standing over there, then you had perfect view of the combination, sweetie."

Gurtherie pointed a finger a Melanie, "You took it, didn't you?!"

Melanie denied, "Of course not!" Gurtherie sneered, "You drooled over it! You were the only one close enough to see the combination and when this room was empty..YOU TOOK IT!"

"She's right," Alexander agreed. Kioku quickly jumped to Melanie's defense, "Hey, don't accuse her like that! Melanie doesn't seem like the type to steal from anyone. "

"Yeah, tell 'em man. Melanie wouldn't do that!" Noah added.

"And why not?" Gurtherie asked. "Shelby, Cindy. Tell her she's wrong!" Melanie said.

"We shouldn't jump to conclusions until we have more facts." Shelby stated.

"Yeah," Spongebob started, "right now we've gotta get ready for the Hurricane!"

Suddenly, A Shadow emerged from the floor. Gurtherie screamed. "It's the monster!" Kioku whipped his hand out and summoned his Keyblade, he quickly defeated the single Heartless with a swipe making everyone stare at him in surprise. Kioku dismissed his Keyblade, "The Heartless are finding their way into the building," He said.

"Let's talk about this watch later, right now we need to focus on gearing up for the storm." Kioku announced as he looked around at everybody.

* * *

 ** _Winslow's Journal_**

 ** _*Shelby Woo:_** _A teenage girl who runs an Inn with her grandfather. When a large storm hits the city and a watch ends up missing, She decides to team up with her friends to get to the bottom of it. **She used to impressive insight to solve countless mysteries in "The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo" (1996).**  
_

 _ ***Noah Allen:** A teenage boy who is one of Shelby's best friends. He takes a liking to Melanie and even jumps to her defense when she is accused of being the one who stole the watch from the safe. **He is one of Shelby's partners in crime in "The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo" (1996).**  
_

 _ ***Cindy Ornette:** A teenage girl who is one of Shelby's best friends. During the storm, she helps out with the investigation and around the Inn. **She is very reliable in "The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo" (1996).**  
_

 _ ***Melanie Turner:** A teenage girl who is one of Shelby's friends from school. She helps out around the Inn when a storm hits the city, but suddenly she's been accused of stealing a watch from a visitor in the Inn. There's also rumors of her stealing in the past, **would you believe her in "The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo" (1996)?**  
_

 _ ***Chase Cavanaugh:** A young junior weather man who is a visitor in the Inn. During the time of the investigation and the storm, he is filming a documentary for his university project. He's energetic, but can be very rude and harsh towards others. **He caught everything on film in "The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo" (1996).**  
_

 _ ***Elizabeth Gutherie:** An author who is a visitor in the Inn. She is the victim of theft when she finds out that her 2000$ watch is swiped from the safe. She accuses Melanie of taking it which then triggers an investigation within the Inn. **She tells a lot of tales in "The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo" (1996).**  
_

 ** _*Alexander Michaels:_** _A touring magician who is a visitor in the Inn along with his wife Gina. He is first thought to be the thief when Cindy sees him hiding away a box on the patio. He and Chase constantly at eachothers necks the entire time, to everyone else's dismay. **He presents lots of tricks in "The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo" (1996).**  
_

 _ ***Gina Michaels:** The spouse of Alexander Michaels and a visitor in the Inn. She is one of the many people who accuse Melanie of stealing Gutherie's watch from the safe and since then she becomes suspicious of everyone else within the Inn. **She keeps an eye on everyone in "The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo" (1996)**  
_

 _ *** Detective Whit Hineline:** A wisecracking and straight forward detective and friend of Shelby. He arrives to inform everyone of Shelby's grandpa's absence and the presence of the Heartless appearing in the surrounding city. When the watch comes up missing, he teams up with Shelby and her friends to crack the case. **He closed many cases in "The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo" (1996).**  
_

 _ **Heartless:**_

 ** _*Patrollers:_** _Heartless that are most common in Town of Mysteries. They are brisk in their movements, and rush into their opponents with pistol shots and claw swipes. However, they are not that tenacious. They often appear in numbers, and work together most of the time._


	7. Chapter 6: Cornered

_**Chapter 6: Cornered!**_

Everyone in the Inn had pulled together to bear through the storm. Noah and Chase got more plywood to put up, Alexander and his wife stocked food an water. And Kioku, Spoongebob and Patrick would eliminate Heartless that found their way into the building. During all of this, Shelby was on the phone with her grandfather.

"Listen Grandpa, I really need to talk to you." she sighed, "Um, I don't want you to worry. But, the storm and the Heartless aren't the only problem." Shelby explained. Everyone around her had started to make a lot of noise, making it difficult for Shelby to speak on the phone. "H-Hello? Grandpa? I can't hear you! Could everyone just please. Excuse me.."

Shelby put the phone down, "QUIET!" she shouted. Everyone stood still and looked at her in shock. "Please..?" She resumed talking to her grandpa, "Grandpa? Hello?" Shelby sighed, "Great..the phone is dead."

* * *

 ** _-Eastery Inn: Patio-_**

Out on the patio Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick helped, Shelby, Cindy and Noah board up more windows. "I can't believe Melanie stole the watch." Cindy started. "Well we don't know if she did or not. We don't have a lot of suspects." Shelby said, dismissing Cindy's assumption.

Noah paused for a minute,"Wait, you're not gonna tell me that you think she did it." Noah said as he glared at Shelby. "I dunno, maybe.." Cindy shrugged.

"Sponge?" Noah looked at Spongebob, hoping he didn't think Melanie took the watch. "Well no one really saw her take it. You'd think she'd have it on, right?" Spongebob said.

Noah turned to Patrick, "How about you, big guy?"

"I dunno." Patrick shrugged sadly. "How about you Shelby?" Noah looked over at Shelby.

"It is possible." Shelby said. "Yeah it's possible that she didn't!" Noah said, immediately defending Melanie.

"I know you like her and all dude, but I'm starting to think she isn't as innocent as she says." Kioku said.

"Yeah, you saw how she reacted when she put the watch on," Cindy said. "She loved it."

"So did Shelby, but I don't see anyone accusing her!" Noah said.

Shelby got in between them, "Ok, cut it out. Noah's right, we've got to look at our possible suspects." Shelby started, "Now, who was in the room?"

"The magician and his wife were by the door." Cindy answered

"The junior weatherman, making his documentary." Noah added. "We know Kioku and his friends didn't get here until recently after the watch came up missing."

"Melanie was in the room too, right?" Kioku questioned, with Shelby nodding at his answer. "Everyone was in the room, but Melanie was allegedly the closest enough to see the combination." Spongebob said as he rubbed his chin.

"Hey, why is everyone so quick to accuse her?" Noah said angrily.

Cindy sighed, "I didn't want to say it, and I hope I'm wrong." She continued, "But I heard she had some trouble at her old school."

"What kind of trouble?" Patrick said. "She stole money from the cafeteria." Cindy said.

"Really?" Kioku gasped in shock, "Wow.."

As Shelby went to go inside, Melanie came outside. She took a look at everyone with the clear look of disappointment in her eyes. "Y'know, I really just don't know which is worse?" She started. "The fact that there are rumors about me, or that all my friends believe them?" Melanie said as her voice started to break. She then stormed into the building quickly, with Noah shortly chasing after her. Cindy called after them both, but they didn't come back.

"Sorry..I really messed that one up.." Cindy said. "I wasn't much help either. There's one thing we need to do, guys." Shelby said.

"Yeah," Kioku nodded. "We gotta investigate and figure out who really did it." He said with a confident smile.

* * *

 ** _-Eastery Inn: Lobby-_**

Back inside of the lobby, Melanie figured that it was time to make an announcement to everybody. "Would everyone please come in here for a moment?" Melanie announced. "Look, I dunno what you heard, but I don't think you did it." Noah said.

"Good, 'cause I'm innocent." Melanie sighed. Everyone in the Inn came to the lobby. Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick, Shelby and Cindy came rushing in. "Oh, not this again!" Gurtherie immediately started to complain. "I thought we agreed to wait until later to deal with this." Hineline said, annoyed about the situation being brought up.

"Well that was before I realized that my friends would stab me in the back." Melanie said angrily, giving a nasty glare at Kioku and the rest of them. "But I want you all to know that I couldn't have done it."

"And why is that?" The magician spoke up. "Because, Shelby was blocking the dial with her hand." Melanie revealed.

"Well there, cross one off the list!" Kioku folded his arms. "Melanie couldn't have gotten the code if Shelby was blocking it."

"Yeah, I can tell that from this angle that it's impossible to see it." Cindy said.

"But, I think I might know who did it." Melanie said. "Lemme get this on tape," Chase said as he hurried to go get his camera. Once he had his video camera in his hands, he began to film. "It's-" The power suddenly went out just as Melanie was about to reveal the culprit. The sound of a blunt object hitting someone over the head was heard, followed by a painful groan from Melanie and a loud thud hitting the ground. "Melanie?" Kioku called out to her. "Does anyone have a flashlight?"

"What's going on?" Spongebob questioned loudly. Everyone took out their flashlights and shined then in the darkened room. "Wait, where's Melanie?" Noah asked, noticing that she wasn't present. Everyone looked around in confusion as she was just standing in the middle of the lobby. "She's gone!" Shelby shouted.

* * *

 ** _-Eastery Inn: Second Floor-_**

After the incident downstairs, everyone in the Inn split up to look for Melanie. Kioku went with Shelby and Cindy while Spongebob and Patrick teamed up with Noah. Kioku's party checked a room in the west wing of the Inn. "Where do you think Melanie is?" Shelby asked, holding a lantern to provide light.

Cindy shrugged, "I don't know!"

"We've gotta keep looking!" Kioku said. "There's no way she could have just came up missing like that."

As they left the room, the two girls gasped as the Heartless appeared in the hallways, their glowing eyes illuminated in the darkness. "Kioku!" Cindy shouted in fear. "I got 'em!" He said as he summoned his Guardian Locker. Fighting in the dark wasn't Kioku's intention, but luckily Shelby kept the light on him as he fought so that he could see properly. Kioku swung his Keyblade around, slashing through and eliminating most of the Heartless that appeared. Some Heartless managed to get the best of him and scratched him up pretty badly. Kioku flew back and hit the floor, making the two girls squeal in horror.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?" Shelby said in a concerning tone. Kioku grunted as he sat up, "Go. Check the rooms!" He then jumped up and got back into a stance. "I don't want you guys getting hurt. Now go!"

"Got it." Shelby nodded, "Let's go Cindy!" The two ran from the battle, leaving Kioku alone for a while. Kioku reached into his pocket and took out one of the potions he bought in Daybreak Town. He opened it and chugged it down, and shortly he felt his energy coming back to him. He readied his Keyblade and charged at the Heartless. He gave one of the Patroller an upper slash, destroying it on contact. He danced circles around the Heartless with his Keyblade, making quick work of them. "It's over!" Kioku delivered the final strike to the last Heartless and vaporized it into oblivion. "Kioku!" Shelby's voice called out to him. She and Cindy were coming down the hall.

"We couldn't find her anywhere." Cindy reported. Kioku sighed, "Alright then let's just go back down-"

Suddenly, Spongebob, Patrick and Noah popped up behind them. Shelby and Cindy screamed, making Spongebob and Patrick scream. Kioku got startled and was about to strike with his Keyblade. "HEY, WAIT! IT'S JUST US!" Noah shouted.

"Jeez guys, do you have to lurk?!" Cindy shouted.

"Lurking?" Spongebob scoffed. "We we're coming to check on you guys after those screams we heard!"

"Well don't sneak up like that, guys. We've got an attacker on the loose remember!" Kioku said, reminding them of the potential person that could have knocked out and kidnapped Melanie. "And they've already taken out Melanie!" Shelby said, sounding a bit scared.

"Yeah, and she was going to reveal the culprit too!" Patrick said sadly. "Aw, it's okay Patrick. We just gotta figure it out now by ourselves." Cindy said, patting the starfish on the back. "Now who could it have been?" Spongebob questioned.

"I don't know, but who could have done it is still in this house!" Shelby said. "Well we can't solve a case just standing here, We gotta get down there," Kioku said as he started leading the party down to the lobby.

* * *

 ** _-Eastery Inn: Candlelit Lobby-_**

They all got downstairs after patrolling the upstairs hallways in search of Melanie. Hineline approached them, holding a lantern. "You guys find her?" He asked.

"Nope, no luck." Kioku shrugged. "Maybe she ran out in the storm." Patrick suggested.

"No, I thought of that. If you open the door, water would come in." Shelby explained. "And all the floors are dry."

"Well, I checked out back. And I found nothing." Hineline sighed.

Alexander groaned, "She couldn't have just disappeared!"

"Oh yeah?" Kioku raised an eyebrow. He then turned his attention to Alexander The Great's closet. He opened it up and Melanie's body fell onto him, making him catch her unconscious body. Everyone gasped in shock at the sight. Kioku took her to the couch, "Anybody got an ice pack?"

* * *

 ** _-Later on-_**

It was a few minutes after Melanie woke up, and Kioku and the others were asking her questions about what happened to her. "So, you don't know who struck you?" Spongebob asked. "No.." Melanie answered weakly.

"You were about to say who you thought stole the watch." Shelby sighed. "Was I? The last thing I remember is coming in here." Melanie said as she looked up at Shelby. "Don't worry about it, just lie here and relax." Hineline said.

"Excuse me, I don't mean to be insensitive, but is there any food around here?" Alexander asked as he walked into the room.

Patrick's stomach growled. "Yeah, I'm getting kinda hungry too." Shelby smiled. "Oh yeah, I'll make some sandwiches for everyone."

"Oh many thanks!" Alexander smiled before walking away.

Shelby sighed, "It's not enough that a hurricane is happening, and my grandfather isn't here, Melanie was attacked, a watch was stolen, _AND_ the Heartless come to make it all worse. Now I have to make _sandwiches_?" She ranted

"Can I have turkey and cheese?" Patrick asked. Shelby rolled her eyes and marched to the kitchen. Hineline went to go examine the safe. Gurtherie walked up to Hineline, carrying a lit candle.

"Y'know, I once wrote a scene just like this in Two Strokes 'Til Midnight. Kelsey 'O Connor solved it in a hunch." Gurtherie smiled. "Oh yeah, well in the real world it's a quarter 'til nine and I prefer evidence." Hineline replied jokingly. After a few minutes, the power cut back on. All of the lights came back on, "Hey, they found the circuit breaker." Kioku announced. Gina, who was sitting in a chair in the lobby, had her purse by her side and was looking around suspiciously. Hineline approached Gina. "Don't worry, I'm sure no one's gonna take your things."

"Well, I'm not!" Alexander yelled across the room. "We've got a thief and some monsters here. We can't risk it, this is our career, y'know." Shelby came in with a tray of sandwiches, "Look's like everything is looking out, we've got lights. We've got, tuna, pastrami, ham, egg salad." Patrick quickly swiped the turkey and cheese from the tray. "..and turkey and cheese.."

Kioku and Spongebob took a pastrami sandwich and ham and cheese sandwich from the tray and began to eat hungrily.

"Mmm..Pastrami." Kioku said as he took a bite, savoring the sandwich. Noah grabbed a sandwich and took it over to Melanie. "Here, can you eat?"

"Look's great, thanks." Melanie smiled as she sat up and took the sandwich. While Shelby was passing out sandwiches, she overheard Hineline interrogating Gina. "Where were you during the time the watch was stolen?"

Gina replied, "I was upstairs, packing the bags."

"So was I." Alexander added. Gina went silent and looked at her husband. "Y-Yeah.." she nodded nervously. Hineline folded his leg over his other one. "Y'know, I dunno how you people do it, don't you get tired of traveling around all the time and living out of hotels?" Alexander snickered, "Well maybe one day, when we get enough money. We'll be able to open up our own magic shop." Alexander responded.

Gina chuckled at her husband, "That'll be some trick." Shelby walked over to Chase. "Here's your sandwich."

"Oh, thanks." He said as he received the sandwich from the teen.

"Hey, check this out." Chase called over to Noah and Cindy. Kioku joined the three near Chase's video gear. "What is it?" Kioku asked.

"Oh, this is a storm I was in last year." Chase answered. He tapped a a few keys on his keyboard and made the footage of the storm slow down. "Now check it out in super slow motion. Yeah, this lens helps. You be far away and it's still look like you're right in front of it."

"You own all this stuff?" Cindy asked.

"Nah, it belongs to the university." Chase shook his head. "I get it until next semester, then I graduate and I have to give it all back because my funding runs out." Chase explained. Shelby passed out a sandwich to Gurtherie. "Oh thank you, Shelby."

"I'm really sorry about what happened," Shelby apologized. Gurtherie nodded. "I know. It' just that the watch is very sentimental to me." She explained, "My editor gave it to me to celebrate my first bestseller, The Clock Is Ticking."

Shelby face lit up with excitement. "That's my favorite!"

"You read my books?" Gutherie asked, her lips curling into a smile. "I have them all!" Shelby giggled. "Kelsey 'Connor is my favorite fictional detective!"

Gutherie smiled warmly, "Well aren't you a peach, you remind me of her."

Shelby blushed and gave a flustered snicker, "N-No way,"

"I mean it," Gutherie nodded. "Your grandfather told me that you dabble in real mysteries." Spongebob suddenly gave Shelby a wide-eyed stare and started to hyperventilate. "YOU MEAN YOU MEDDLE, TOO?" Spongebob shouted as was still feeling guilty for meddling into this world. Kioku ran over and covered Spongebob's mouth, "Don't mind him, he's just a little fed up with the case..." Kioku gave a wink.

Shelby giggled at the two. "Yes, Spongebob. I guess you could say that I 'meddle'."

Shelby and Gurtherie continued to talk. "My favorite is the one about the dinner party. How did you come up with it?"

"Oh, the Guilded Hourglass? I hate to admit it, but I cheated." Gurtherie chuckled. Shelby gave her a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I was having a bad case of writer's block," Gutherie started "And since all of the characters are based off of real people, I just invited them over to dinner. I put them in the same situation and I just sat back and wrote down what I saw." Gurtherie explained.

Gutherie laughed loudly. "I'm going to go get something to drink." She then left to the kitchen. Shelby thought again about the culprits. She got up and walked over to Kioku. "Kioku, we'd better rethink about our culprits."

* * *

 ** _-Later on-_**

Kioku, Shelby and Hineline resumed the case, and started to interrogate Chase. "I was checkin' out gauges at the time, I didn't have time to tell if they were talking about a watch."

"What about immediately after?" Kioku asked as he folded his arms. "I thought we were evacuating, so I set up my equipment and went to go pack." Chase explained. "Have you seen anything suspicious?" Hineline asked. "Any Heartless, no?"

Chase gestured over to Alexander, "Earlier, I saw the magician do this trick with handcuffs."

"Really?" Kioku raised on eyebrow. "Yeah, and it got me thinkin'," Chase started, "If he can unlock a pair of handcuffs. He can probably unlock a safe too. He is a magician after all." He nodded. "Did I just hear you say something about me?" The magician said, his voice sounding hostile.

"Easy man, I was just answering the kid's questions, okay?" Chase said, backing up as the magician started walked up to him. "Don't worry about what you _think_ you heard." Hineline said, pointing a finger at Alexander. "I'd just like to know if he's making up lies!" The magician shouted.

"I don't have to make them up." Chase argued at the magician. Gina chimed in, "Where do you get off talking about my husband, if you're looked for someone to blame look at them." Gina pointed to Noah, who turned to look at the woman. "Me?!" Noah exclaimed.

"Yeah, you're the one who likes her so much. Maybe you just saw how much she liked that watch and you just STOLE it for her!" Gina said, accusing Noah heavily. "But Noah would never to something like that." Spongebob said, coming to his defense.

"All I know is that if nobody knew the combination, then it sure makes since to suspect someone to picks locks for a living." Chase said, gesturing to Alexander.

The magician got angry. "I do NOT pick locks, I am a Illusionist!" The lightning cracked, and the plywood on one of the windows busted open as a branch had crashed into the window. A few Heartless emerged inside of the lobby, making everyone scatter. The magician hid, "I suppose you're gonna blame me for that too!" Kioku summoned his Keyblade and quickly made work of the Heartless.

"What do we do now?!" Gina screamed "We're almost in the eye of the hurricane," Chase announced. "It'll be calm then, but we've only got a few minutes before it starts back up again!" Chase warned.

"Wait..hurricane...Heartless.." Kioku thought out loud. "I've got it!"

"What is it?" Patrick asked.. "The Heartless! They must have something to do with the Hurricane!" Kioku said. "They must be using a natural disaster as a way to plunge this world into darkness." Kioku muttered to himself. "Dunno why they would use a natural disaster like that, though."

"Wait! You mean they're controlling the storm?" Cindy asked, her voice projecting shock. "Wow, that's bizarre!" Chase exclaimed.

"Well, we need to fix that window!" Shelby said as she raced over to where the plywood had fallen down. "Cindy, go get the tool box. Noah, help me get another piece of plywood," Shelby ordered, making the two run off. "Detective Hineline, get that branch out of here!" Shelby ordered.

She then turned to the key bearer and the others, "Kioku, Spongebob, and Patrick. In case any more Heartless come, you know what to do!"

Spongebob and Patrick jumped into a salute. "Roger!"

"Chase, let us know if the Heartless comes back. We'll be here to take care of it." Kioku ordered. "Gotcha, kid." Chase winked, giving him a thumbs up. After the window was taken care of and everyone settled down. Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick joined Shelby and her friends upstairs for ice cream.

* * *

 ** _-Eastery Inn: Shelby's room-_**

"This mystery is getting more complicated, who would someone need a reason to steal the watch?" Shelby sighed exhaustively.

"Well, there's the weather guy," Spongebob answered. "He needs the money for his funding, since it's about to run out."

"Yeah, and he could use the money." Patrick added. "Alexander and Gina, they could use the money to settle down and open a Magic Shop." Kioku suggested.

"What about the writer, Gutherie?" Cindy questioned. "She's pretty odd."

"Come on now, Cindy. Why would she steal her own watch?" Noah said. "Well, she did say that when she can't write anything, she likes to put unsuspected people in the same situation as her characters." Shelby said. "Wouldn't know how she would use the Heartless in the story, though.."

"You mean..she might be using us as some guinea pigs for a plot?" Cindy asked angrily.

"Yeah, and I noticed that she wasn't the only one not jumping into the conversation either." Kioku said. "Wait, so you mean everybody has a motive?" Noah asked. "Nobody had access." Patrick said.

"Well somebody must have." Shelby responded. Suddenly, the sound of breaking glass alarmed them all. "What was that?"

"The Heartless?" Spongebob wondered. They all quickly rushed to the room of the noise. They all saw a downed Chase, with a red bruise on his forehead.

"What happened?" Kioku shouted. Everyone else came rushing in as well, as Chase had just been attacked. They all hurried and got Chase downstairs to the couch and bandaged his wound.

He started to explain, "I came looking for Alex, so we could both talk and cool down. Then outta nowhere, I get whacked in the head!"

"We might need to get you to a doctor later, but for right now stay here and keep your feet elevated." Hineline ordered. Spongebob shook his head.

"No need Hineline," Spongebob smile, summoning his Royal Spatula staff.

"Heal!" Spongebob raised his staff into the air and used a Cure spell on Chase, fully healing his wound. Chase sat up, feeling more energetic than before. "Whoa..thanks!" Chase said excitedly, "I feel better already!"

Alex glared at Spongebob, seeing as how his magic rivaled his. "Guess I won't need a doctor. Plus, I don't wanna be in the same room as _him!_ " Chase said, referring to Alex. "What, I didn't do this!" the magician exclaimed, "I was with Hineline when it happened!"

"What is going on here, I mean who could have done all this?" Gina asked, waiting for the long awaited answer. "Yeah. Who could break into the safe. Attack Melanie. And knock out Chase?" Kioku wondered.

Chase's equipment had started buzzing like crazy, making everyone turn to it's attention. "The equipment's going wild." Shelby said, walking over to it.

"This equipment doesn't miss a thing." Hineline commented. Suddenly, a light came on in Shelby's head. She turned to Kioku and the others. "Guys, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick looked over at the two. Hineline smiled, and so did Shelby. She went over to the safe.

"There are three pieces to the puzzle. The first is the safe and who could open it." Shelby stated.

"I still say it's Melanie," Gina said.

"That's because, you don't want to admit that it's your husband." Noah sneered. "Must we go through this again?" Gurtherie groaned.

"And next, we gotta figure out who could knock out both Melanie and Chase!" Kioku said.

"That could've been anybody, except me and Gina." Alex said. "It might've even been _you_ , key boy!" The magician snapped at Kioku.

"Why would I attack them," Kioku asked as he narrowed his eyes at the elder man. "We found Melanie locked in _YOUR_ box, and you were pretty mad at Chase ealier!" Kioku pointing his finger at Alex dramatically.

"Are you calling me a liar, kid?" Alex asked threateningly. "Yup, you lied to Hineline when you said you were upstairs packing!" Spongebob objected.

"Liar, liar, plants for hire!" Patrick taunted. "Uh, I think you mean pants on fire, right Patrick?" Cindy giggled, correcting the starfish.

Shelby folded her arms at Alex. "Cindy said she saw you on the patio, looking at a box."

"Alex," Gina said, looking at her husband. "Is that true?"

Alex sighed. "Yes. I have a confession to make." He announced.

Gina whimpered sadly. Alex took out a box from his coat. "My watch?" Gurtherie exclaimed.

The box was opened and it was...candy. "You were hiding candy?" Kioku asked, surprised.

"I was suppose to be on a diet and I didn't want my wife to know." Alex lowered his head. "So we still don't know who did it.." Shelby lowered her hand.

"Okay. We didn't know until Detective Hineline discovered the third part of the puzzle. A clue," Kioku announced to the room. Hineline walked over to Chase. "Lemme see your flashlight.." Chase took a flashlight off of the table and handed it to Hineline.

"No..I meant _your_ flashlight." Hineline asked again. "Why?" Chase asked. Hineline snatched the flashlight from Chase. "So that i can show everyone the clue."

Chase shrugged, "What clue, there's nothing over there."

"I know that. The clue is right here." Hineline said as he shook the flashlight. "AHA!" Kioku shouted loudly. "My flashlight?" Chase asked in a confused tone.

"Yes," Hineline nodded. "You see, Shelby changed the batteries in all the flashlights twice and I got a flashlght that didn't work. Why, somebody took those batteries out." he explained. The detective opened up the flashlight and found the watch. And Everyone gasped in shock.

"L-Look, I don't know where that came from." Chase said, stumbling over his words.. "SAVE IT FOR THE JUDGE!" Spongebob screamed melodramtically. "Hehe, always wanted to say that."

"And about the combination? That explains that zoom on your camera." Shelby picked up Chase's camera. "And using slow motion, that's how you got the combination."

Noah commented. "And when you knocked the power out by overloading the system, that's when you got the chance to knock out Melanie!"

"B-But I was attacked, remember?" Chase objected. "Must've taken alot of guts to knock yourself in the head." Hineline snickered. Kioku smirked.

"Sorry, Chase. Looks like you're ** _cornered_**." Kioku said, delivering the cringy oneliner. Chase looked around to see if anyone would come to his defense. but no one did. "But I..no..well.."

A dark aura raged over Chase and he barged out of the house, going out in the storm. Everyone gasped and quickly followed the man out the door. "What is he crazy?!" Alex commented. Chase raised his hands into the air, it looked like he was summoning something.

Drill sirens blared in that distance and a large Heartless came flying towards the Inn. The Heartless was known as Storm Rider. The Storm Rider is a large, blue dragon with a long, curled tail and twisted, yellow spikes lining its back. Its wings are actually long, five-fingered hands with ornate webbing between the fingers. Each finger sports a short, white claw. The Heartless's underside is lined by two rows of three gold cymbals. Its lower jaw is large, jagged, and yellow, its upper jaw is blue, and its eyes are glowing yellow with blue-green "eyebrows". White hair is visible around the Heartless's eyes and mouth, and forms "tusks" on the sides of its mouth. The Storm Rider also has two bent, red horns on its head, its only vulnerable points. Its Heartless emblem is on its chin.

"No way," Shelby uttered. "Chase is the one that have been calling the Heartless?"

"Everyone get back!" Kioku ordered loudly as he called his Keyblade in a flash of light. The others ran into the Inn and closed the door shut. Kioku ran out to the opening to where Chase was, with Spongebob and Patrick readying their weapons and joining him in battle. Chase turned around to face Kioku and his comrades as the Storm Rider hovered over him.

A barrier surrounded the trio, Chase and the Heartless. Chase glared at the three of them, the dark aura growing stronger around him.

* * *

 **(INFORMATION: Defeat Chase!)**

 **(Battle Music: Vim and Vigor)**

Kioku charged at Chase and started to swing and smack him around with his Keyblade, making Chase cry out in pain. Kioku hopped back and delivered a strong lunge attack to Chase, emitted a large flash of light and cause him making him fly back and hit the ground with great force.

Kioku's eyes widened, "I guess the magic from the Keyblade has different effects to people in certain worlds." He snickered.. Storm Rider flew around, dropping Thunder bolts down on Spongebob and Patrick. The two scattered as the bolts hit the ground. Spongebob retaliated with Blizzard Spells, while Patrick tossed his shields into the air, making them spin vertically and cause damage as the weapons spun into Storm Rider. Patrick caught his twin shields as they came falling down.

Chase flipped up and charged at Kioku, he was really fast for a junior weather guy. He tried his best to duck and dodge most of Chase's punches. But he got caught in a punch that Chase threw, causing him a major deal of damage. Chase had then wailed on Kioku, before picking him up by the throat and tossing him across the battlefield. "Eat this!, Chase shouted as he fire a wave of raw darkness at the three.

Kioku felt a great deal of pain swarm through his body as he had gotten hit by Chase's attack. Storm Rider saw that the key bearer was down, and flew at him, intending to finish him off.

"Oh no you don't!", Patrick hurried and intercepted Storm Rider by bashing it with his weapons, giving Spongebob time to heal Kioku.

"Kioku!" Spongebob yelled as he used Cure on him. "Good save." Kioku commented as he jumped back up to his feet. Chase charged at Kioku again, getting ready to throw another punch. Kioku quickly dodged it and kicked Chase in the stomach, making him yell and double over in pain. Kioku launched Chase up into the air, leaping up in the air with him and began to attack Chase with a flurry of strikes. He twisted his Keyblade and smacked Chase to the ground with it.

Chase could hardly stand, he managed to get to his feet. "Get over here!" he shouted at the large Heartless. Storm Rider heeded Chase's calling and picked him up. Chase was now riding on the large Heartless. "Go! Zap 'em! Zap all of 'em!" Chase screamed at Storm Rider.

"Spongebob! Quick!" Kioku shouted. Spongebob channeled the air swirling around in the storm and used it to launch Kioku high into the atmosphere. Kioku whacked Chase with the Keyblade just before grabbing him by the arm and tossing him off of the Heartless. He quickly takes Storm Rider out of the air by attacking its two little horns with two strong swipes. Chase and the Heartless shook the ground as they fell to the earth.

 **(Level up: Kioku - Strength and HP increased!)**

 **(Level up: Spongebob- *Hyper Healing**

 ***Bubble Storm)**

 **(Level up: Patrick - HP increased!)**

* * *

The Heartless disappeared in a fog of black mist, leaving the captive heart to float into the air. Chase was left unconscious after the battle. Slowly but surely, The hurricane went away. Everyone else from inside of the Inn came outside and gathered around Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick..

"Wow! That was amazing!" Shelby said.

"Yeah! You totally took that guy down!" Noah exclaimed excitedly. "It was like watching a movie!" Cindy squealed.

Kioku panted. "It was nothing," Spongebob nodded. "Yeah, we had to protect you guys."

Hineline walked over and heaved Chase up to his feet. "Well, this guy's goin' downtown."

"Thanks Kioku, you really helped us tonight." Hineline smiled..

Suddenly, a large keyhole a materialized in the sky. Kioku's Keyblade shook violently, making Spongebob and Patrick look on with worry. Kioku pointed his Keyblade at the keyhole and fired beam into it. A loud locking sound was heard shortly afterwards. "What was that, Kioku?" Cindy said.

Spongebob turned to Shelby and her friends. "I..think that means that we have to go."

"Go?" Shelby said confusingly. "Go where?"

"To..uh...find our friends." Kioku answered.

Hineline gave him a concerned look, "What, Where are they, are they missing? You need us to file a report?"

Kioku shook his head, "Nah. I have a feeling that we'll find them." The teen smiled. "Well, good luck! Here, this is for helping us." Shelby said, handing Kioku a keychain with a silver question mark as the token.

"Thanks." Kioku smiled.

"Bye friends," Patrick waved. Then Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick went back to the Gummi Ship after saying their goodbyes.

{ _ **You've obtained the power of the wind. You've learned Aero spell!}**_

 _ **{ITEM GET:**_

 _ **Cased Closed: ATK 5 | MAG 3}**  
_

* * *

 ** _-The Lanes in Between-_**

They all sighed with relief as they slumped in their seats.

"Well, that's one world. And no sign of the king or Kioku's friends." Patrick said. "Yeah, on top of that, we meddled." Spongebob whined.

"Spongebob, if we didn't go to the Inn, they probably would have never solved the mystery. And the Heartless would've eventually plunged them into darkness." Kioku explained.

"That's the thing," Spongebob shouted. "I didn't expect to be thrown into a mystery case!" Spongebob argued. "That's why we shouldn't meddle, Kioku!"

"Don't talk to me like I'm some little kid!" Kioku argued back. "I'm the key, remember! You need me!"

They argued back and forth. Shouting at each other and causing a ruckus.

"Forget this! Let's get to the next world!" Spongebob scoffed, plopping back down into his seat. Patrick looked around. "How about there?" The starfish pointed to a jungle looking world. "Oh please, Patrick. Why would the king be in a backwater place like that?" Spongebob chuckled.

"Well I wanna go. What if Yoru and Taiyo are there?" Kioku questioned. "No! You'll just meddle like you did in the last world!" Spongebob denied.

Kioku grabbed the steering wheel. "We're landing!"

"No, don't touch that!" Spongebob screamed.

The Gummi Ship shook and immediately went crashing towards the next world, leaving Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick screaming as they plummeted to the next world.

* * *

 ** _-?:?-_**

"What exactly drew the Heartless to that world anyway?" Plankton questioned.

"The junior weather man lured them there." Vlad answered. "His lust for greed and power was the bait. But, seems like bait was too tasty for his own good."

Vicky snickered. "And he was the one who ended up being eaten. What an idiot.."

Ganondorf stepped forward. "A weak-hearted bafoon like him stood no chance against the Heartless.."

"Yeah, he actually thought he could go mano y mano with the darkness?" Bowser laughed, "That's just asking to get you own butt served to you."

Vicky kicked her feet up on the table. "The kid's a major problem. He found one of the keyholes."

"What?!" Plankton exclaimed in anger. The rest of the villains were in an uproar, that was until Vlad silenced them.

"Calm down. It'll take him ages to find the rest. Besides, he doesn't know about our other plan. He's completely oblivious to it."

A glowing image of Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick walking in place appeared in the middle of the table. They all looked at the image, observing the three.

"Yeah, the princesses.." Bowser commented. "They are falling into our hands. One by one.." Ganondorf said.

"Speaking of which."

An image changed to a a blonde-haired princess wearing a pink dress and a golden crown. She looked scared and helpless as she looked around in fear.

* * *

 _ **Winslow's Journal**_

 _ ***Chase Cavanaugh:**_ _A young junior weather man who is a visitor in the Inn._ _During the time of the investigation and the storm, he is filming a documentary for his university project. He is revealed to be the thief that has stolen the watch from the safe and the one who's been secretly calling Heartless into the Inn to attack everyone. **He was a lying and theivin' jerkwad in "The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo" (1996).**  
_

 _ **Heartless:**_

 _ ***Storm Rider:**_ _A giant Heartless that appeared in the sky of the Town of Mysteries. An intense battle was fought by Kioku just outside the Inn. This Heartless used a natural disaster as an attempt to sink the world into darkness and it aided Chase Cavanaugh in battle when he gave into the darkness.  
_


	8. Chapter 7: Hunt or Be Hunted

_**Chapter 7: Hunt or be Hunted**_

 ** _-Land of the Wild: Moonlit Savannah-_**

 ** _(Based on The Wild Thornberrys: Flood Warning episode)_**

 _ **(Field Theme: A Wild Adventure!)**_

Kioku came falling head first into a large tree. The boy cried loudly as he hit nearly every tree branch on the way down just before landing on the ground. He groaned in pain, "Owwwww..." the boy stood and rubbed his head. The teen looked around the hot, humid area and it appeared that he was in a Savannah of some sort. Then he remembered, that he, Spongebob and Patrick had crash landed into this world. "Yup, definitely getting chew out.." He muttered to himself. Kioku looked around, "Where am I?"

The sound of something roaring, sounding closely like a lion, echoed the Savannah startled Kioku, followed by the screaming of a girl. Kioku quickly ran farther into the Savannah as he followed the noise, and soon he saw a girl with red hair, it being styled in two pigtails being chased by a lion. She also had on glasses and wore braces. Kioku summoned his Keyblade and dashed over to the lion, who had pounced at the poor girl, and he quickly blocked the lion's attack with a swing from his Guardian Locker. The lion flew back and hit the ground.

"Stand back!" Kioku nodded to the girl. "The name's Kioku, by the way!"

The girl smiled with relief, "I'm Eliza.." she said just going to behind a tree. The Lion stood up, growling at the teen boy, making him get into a stance with his Keyblade.

* * *

 **(INFORMATION: Put a stop to the Lion!)**

 **(Battle Music: Gain Your Fangs!)**

The lion pounced at Kioku. The keybearer quickly spun his Keyblade like a propeller, blocking the lion's attack and spun around and struck the lion swiftly. The lion flew back, this time, landing on it's feet. The lion roared and dashed at Kioku, it clawed at him. Kioku jumped back, fresh blood oozed from the claw marks. "Here," Kioku quickly used a potion and healed up before the lion could attack again. Kioku avoided the lion's pounce and swiftly attacked it with more Keyblade strikes.

"Gotcha!" Kioku shouted as he slammed his Keyblade down on the lion. The lion roared and became weaker, but it didn't back down from the fight.

"It won't go down." Kioku said. "Hey, let's run!"

Kioku took Eliza's hand and they ran from the lion, they saw a pricker bush and decided to cut the lion off by going through there. When they got to the other side, they were stopped by two lionesses. Kioku gulped. The two stood up as the lionesses laughed.

"Straight into the pricker bush, typical." The lighter lioness said.

"Cute trick.." The darker lioness purred. The lion caught up with Kioku and Eliza on the other side. He readied his Keyblade. "Hope you didn't come back to pick a fight."

"OH _please_.." The lighter lioness purred, "Maybe if Imamu went on a hunt once in a while he might not be so clumsy." She pointed he paw at the Lion. "Besides, those black creatures are swiping all of our prey away from us."

"Heartless are hunting animals?" Kioku uttered to himself. Eliza quickly replied, "Black creatures, and they're called Heartless, are they some kind of animal?"

"Oh, no." Kioku shook his head. "They're ..uh..creatures that feed on people's hearts. They're pretty dangerous." he explained.

"Yes." The darker lioness purred. "If they don't show up. I'll show you how we hunt, my darlings.." she snarled.

Eliza's face lit up. "Really?! Oh, cool!" she exclaimed happily.

Kioku looked at Eliza, tightening his grip on his Keyblade, "Uh, Eliza, I think this won't look good for us.."

"Oh don't be silly, Kioku!" Eliza waved her hand. "I came here with my family to watch these lions do what they do best. Hunt."

"Oooh, but the spiky one is smart." The light lioness said.

"That's right Nakato," The darker lioness smirked at the other lioness. "Sorry to say that you won't be watching darlings.. you'll be running!"

Kioku raised his Keyblade against the lionesses, who started to laugh maniacally. Eliza gasped in shock and hid behind Kioku.

"Oh no no! You don't wanna hunt us!" Eliza laughed nervously. "We're not very tasty!"

Eliza stuttered, "Besides! We can help you hunt!"

"Y-Yeah!" Kioku nodded as he lowered his Keyblade. "Plus, I'm looking for my friends. The yellow and square one is Spongebob, and the star-shaped, pink one is Patrick."

"Sorry, haven't seen them. If i have, I would've already devoured them!" Nakato snarled, licking her paws. "And to the girl. You and the boy could help us hunt?" The other one said. "Please..do go on."

"You don't wanna hunt us anyways, we're fearless and quick thinkers." Eliza said, Kioku nodding in agreement.

Nakato spoke, "Just for running our friend, Imamu back there into the pricker bush, we should let them come along and strike down those Heartless." The lioness smiled. "Don't be so hard-nosed Nkiru, they'll be fine."

The other lioness, Nkiru replied, "They'll have to more than just fine.." Kioku chuckled nervously, "We can do it..heh." What did he just get himself into?

"Can you," Nkiru started as her and Nakato slowly walked towards them, making Kioku and Eliza back up. "Can you pounce like lightning and take down an animal twice your size?" the darker lioness asked as she pounced at them. Kioku and Eliza looked at each other and then back at the animals. "Well?" Nkiru snarled impatiently.

"Um..I knock can em' out with the Keyblade." he smiled nervously, showing the lionesses his weapon. "And then, I can totally pounce!" Eliza commented.

"Listen to you," Nakato to the Nkiru, "You were skinnier than her when you were a cub, besides, two more sets of eyes won't hurt."

Nkiru snarled, "Alright humans, let's see what you've got." she said as he nudged her head into Kioku's chest, gesturing for him to walk.

"Wait a sec, I thought we were just following you guys," Kioku questioned. Nkiru got closer and snarled, "Your choice, hunt or be hunted.."

Nakato chimed in, "That's the way it is." Eliza gasped as she heard another girl's voice. She gulped in fear and looked over at Kioku.

Without having a choice, he sighed and waved forward, "C'mon, I'll lead the way.." Kioku ordered.

* * *

 ** _-Land of The Wild: Dark Jungle-_**

Spongebob and Patrick walked cautiously through the jungle, both slightly frightened about thinking of what could jump out at them from the shadows. Patrick's eyes watered up and his mouth quivered. "Sp-Spongebob, I'm scared. I don't know where we are.." Patrick whimpered. "I sure hope Kioku's okay."

Spongebob got angry at the thought of him since he was the reason they were in the predicament they ended up in. "He _is_ the key! He can take care of himself!"

Patrick looked at the sponge, "Spongebob, we need him!" he said.

"Drop it Patrick!" Spongebob shouted. "We can find the king without him, and that's final!" he yelled. Suddenly, the rustling of leaves were heard making Spongebob and Patrick look around the area in search of the noise. "What was that?" Patrick asked as he trembled with fear. Spongebob summoned his staff and narrowed his eyes. "I dunno.." Footsteps were then heard approaching the two.

"Um, excuse me!" A voice said. "Is someone there, I heard talking!" Spongebob sighed in relief, "It's not an animal.."

"Oh.." Patrick nodded. The two people approaching them was a Chimpanzee in a blue and white striped shirt and blue shorts, and the other person was a little feral boy with wild hair and cheetah-print shorts. The wild boy quickly approached Spongebob and Patrick, sniffing them. The boy then said something in gibberish, sounding excited and started to jump up and down. "Please forgive him. My name is Darwin and that is Donnie. We are looking for a girl, two as a matter of fact." The chimp explained. "Have you seen them?"

Patrick whispered to Spongebob. "It actually is an animal.."

Spongebob shook his head. "What a coincidence, we happen to be looking for someone too. Someone that I am _very_ angry with." Spongebob gritted his teeth. "By the way, I'm Spongebob and this is Patrick." he introduced.

"Can you help us find our friend?" Patrick asked. Darwin nodded in response. "Very well, but under one condition." Darwin said. "You protect us from those obscure monsters." Patrick narrowed his eyes, " _Wait_ , how do we know if we can trust you?"

Darwin put his hands on his hips, "How rude. Do we look like one of those wretched things?" The chimp shook his head. "So is it a deal or not, we're losing time you know."

"Deal." Spongebob nodded. "Follow us.." The four of them continued through the jungle to find Kioku and Eliza.

* * *

 ** _-Land of the Wild: Lakeside-_**

After being forced to fight Heartless for the past twenty minutes, Kioku's group arrived at the Lakeside and hid in the bushes. Looking through them, they saw another girl, who looked older than Eliza. She had long, wavy blonde hair with bangs that draped over her eyes. She wore an open green shirt with an orange midriff top, with baggy blue ripped jeans and black shoes. "Who is that?" Kioku questioned in a whisper.

"My sister, Debbie." Eliza answered quietly. Nakato and Nkiru popped up behind them, nearly scaring the two. The dark lioness purred, "Ooh, there's a little meat on that one." Nkiru said, referring to Debbie. Nakato added, "You two are in luck, she looks tired."

Debbie did indeed look tired, she looked like she had been chasing something for a few hours. "Uhh.." Eliza hesitated, her heart beating quickly.

"Don't worry honey, it's easy once you break the skin." The Nakato smirked. Eliza smiled at Nakato and Nkiru, "Um.. mind if me and Kioku have a moment alone together?"

Nkiru nodded. "Fine, but make it quick before the prey gets away." after that, Nkiru and Nakato walked away from the two and left them alone. Eliza pulled the teen aside, "I've got a plan." She announced in a whisper.

Kioku exhaled with relief, "It's about time.."

"Okay, we'll pretend to go and attack Debbie and when I give the signal, we'll run." Eliza explained. "Got it?"

Kioku nodded, "Got it." he repeated back to her. The two lionesses approached Kioku and Eliza again. "Are you two done?"

Nkiru snarled, "Time's up, now get in there and get your prey!" Kioku and Eliza nodded to each other and then ran at Debbie. They screamed loudly, in an attempt to sound threatening. Eliza tackled Debbie down and growled like a lion, making Debbie scream and curse in confusion. The boy summoned his Keyblade and pretended to hit Debbie with it.

Eliza leaned in closer and whispered to her sister, "When I say 'go', run! This is _not_ a test!"

"What's with you?! And who is the boy with the giant key?" The Heartless then appeared around the three, some of them this time taking on the appearances of monkeys. Kioku looked over and noticed that the Lionesses didn't even jump when the Heartless appeared. "She may be small but she's got spunk.." Nakato commented.

Kioku spun around and swiped at the Powerwilds, knocking them away into the lake. "Are you two calling the Heartless?!" He shouted at the lionesses, who gave a mischievous smirk. Suddenly, in a moment of luck, Spongebob and Patrick's group came in just the nick of time.

"Kioku!" Patrick shouted in happiness. Kioku looked over and saw his two friends running towards him, along with a clothed chimpanzee and a feral-looking boy. "Spongebob! Patrick!" Kioku smiled, truly glad to see them. The three of them hugged.

Darwin tore Eliza away from Debbie. "You two came all the way out here to fight?!" Donnie ran past all of them, followed by the lionesses who began to chase after them all.

"RUN!" Kioku shouted, and they all ran from the two lionesses. They all hopped into a dry ditch in an attempt to escape the ferocious animals but they were intercepted by the lion, Imamu, from earlier. Spongebob and Patrick readied their weapons. Debbie scoffed, "This is so screwed up."

The three lions surrounded them. Thunder sounded, and rain followed afterwards.

* * *

 **(Battle Music: Rowdy Rumble)**

Kioku lunges out at Nkiru and attacks her with swift strikes and knocks her away with a strong attack. Patrick lead Eliza and her friends away from the lions, but the male lion managed to charge at them. Patrick spun around and tossed his dual shields and knocked Imamu away with a painfully strong attack that kept him down for a while.

Spongebob spun his staff around, spewing countless fire and blizzard spells at the two lionesses, freezing one of them and setting other ablaze. Nakato was frozen, Kioku started smacking it around with combos before launching it into the air and smack it around with aerial combos. The darker lioness put the fire out and charged at Patrick. The starfish had to think quickly, so he slammed one of his shields into the ground, creating a wall of jagged stone to rise and prevent Nkiru from attacking.

Kioku finished off Nakato with a strong attack with knocked her back. "Back off!" the teen shouted as he attacked. Nakato fell to the ground in fatigue. "Ouch..that hurt.."

Nkiru snarled and charged at Eliza and took at bite at her arm. Eliza screamed in pain as her flesh had been torn into by the animal's teeth. Kioku's quickly ran over to the dark lioness and hit her with a sliding dash before, swiftly taking her out with Keyblade strikes. Kioku knocked the lioness away. Nkiru fell down in defeat. "Ngh.."

* * *

They soon heard the sounds of rushing water from afar, making the teen boy look around in caution. "Outta the way!" Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick led Eliza and her friends up out of the ditch. Just as the lions were about to charge at them again, a large flood of water came and washed the three sadistic lions away, turning the dried out ditch into a river. Eliza stared at her wound. Kioku raised his Keyblade in the air and used Cure on Eliza. She blinked twice at her the restored flesh on her arm, "Whoa, cool! Thanks, Kioku!"

"Your welcome." Kioku smiled. Eliza looked away in worry. "Great, now how are we going to get back?"

Soon, two people, a male and a female can paddling over in a boat made out of hay. "Eliza! Debbie! Over here!" The woman called out. "Mom! Dad!" Eliza and Debbie shouted in unison. The boat stopped over by the six of them and Eliza and her friends got in. Nigel, Eliza's dad, spoke to Kioku. "Would you chaps like a ride?"

Kioku shook his head. "No thanks. We can take it from here."

"Thanks Kioku!" Eliza smiled. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a keychain and tossed it towards Kioku, who caught it with quick hands.

"And thanks to you too, Spongebob and Patrick." Darwin said, waving at the two sea creatures. "Oh dear, before I forget. Me and Donnie had found this charm out in the jungle while we were looking for the girls." The Chimp took out a charm from his pocket and handed it to Spongebob. The three looked at the charm.

"What does it do?" Kioku asked, feeling a strange aura coming from the charm. The other two shrugged. After saying their goodbyes, the boat then sailed away into the distance of the rising sun. Spongebob turned and glared at Kioku. "And the Gummi Ship is where, I might ask?"

Kioku laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Guess a little exercise wouldn't hurt, huh?"

Just as Spongebob was about to chew Kioku out, the teen's Keyblade began to shake. In the dawning sky, the world's keyhole showed itself in a flash of light. Kioku pointed his Keyblade at the keyhole and sealed it with a beam, then hearing a loud locking noise afterwards. "C'mon, let's hurry and find the Gummi Ship." Patrick said.

After finding the Gummi after venturing about the savannah, they got in and strapped themselves up. Spongebob had then blasted off into the Lanes in Between

* * *

 **{OBTAINED:**

 **Feral Instincts: ATK 5 | MAG 6}  
**

 **(OBTAINED: Crimson Charm**

 **Info: With the help of two friends, you will be able to summon, Crimson Chin!}**

* * *

 _ **Side note:**_ _ **Gain Your Fangs is a mock Kingdom Hearts 2 track composed by GenesisKeys.  
**_

* * *

 _ **-Winslow's Journal-  
**_

 _ ***Eliza Thornberry:** A girl who gained the ability to speak with animals after an encounter with an African shaman. She befriends Kioku after he saves her from a ferocious lion. **She went on many adventures in "The Wild Thornberrys" (1998).** **  
**_

 _ ***Imamu:** A wild Lion who wanted to prey on Eliza and soon her friends and family. Imamu is first subdued by Kioku when he tried to attack Eliza the first time. **He was on the prowl in "The Wild Thornberrys" (1998).**  
_

 _ ***Nkiru:** A wild lioness who meets Eliza and Kioku alongside her accomplice, Nakato. She is more ferocious and snarly, making the keybearer and the young safarist fear her. **She searched for prey to catch in "The Wild Thor** **nberrys" (1998).**  
_

 _ ***Nakato:** A wild lioness who meets Eliza and Kioku alongside her accomplice, Nkiru. Unlike Nkiru, Nakoto is more motherly and manipulative. She and Nkiru force Kioku and Eliza to eliminate Heartless all over the Savannah and the jungle and help them find prey. **She** **searched to prey to catch in "The Wild Thornberrys" (1998).**  
_

 _ ***Darwin:** A chimpanzee who accompanies Eliza and her family on various adventures. After Eliza and Debbie go missing from camp, He and Donnie go out to find them and encounters Spongebob and Patrick while they are on their own search for Kioku. **He was Eliza's sidekick in "The Wild Thornberrys" (1998).**  
_

 _ ***Donnie:** A feral little boy who helps Darwin go out to search for Eliza and Debbie. He lands in trouble when the lions surround them and intend to gobble them up, but they end up being subdued by Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick. **He was having a wild time in "** **The Wilds Thornberrys" (1998).**  
_

 _ ***Debbie:** The older sister of Eliza, who is more rebellious and girly. After the RV goes down the river, she leaves camp to chase it. Eventually she meets up with Eliza and Kioku and all the others who then escape from the lions and Heartless. **She was a rebel in "The Wild Thornberrys" (1998).**  
_

 _ **-Heartless-**_

 _ ***Powerwild:**_ _Heartless resembling a monkey. With great physical strength and agility, they often strike with combination attacks. Avoid close-range battles with them if possible. They are common in Land of the Wild.  
_

 ** _*Living Bone:_ **_The Living Bone resembles a large, blue-skinned dinosaur with two short, navy blue legs, each of which has two large, white claws and a red anklet. Its tail is thin and appears to have decayed, leaving only bone segments. The tip of its tail is a large, spherical shape that is navy blue with a wide, jagged, black "mouth", yellow, spiral "eyes", and two short "arms" on it. The Living Bone's head is also skeletal, sporting horns, glowing, yellow eyes, and large, sharp teeth. Its lower jaw is dark blue, and the rest of its skull is white. It also wears a thick, black collar with teal edges and red bumps lining it. A short, silver chain ending in a red, pyramidal weight hangs from the collar._ _Make sure to dodge its strong attacks as they deal huge damage. These are common in Land of the Wild.  
_

 ** _*Shaman:_** _A Shaman is a thin, monkey-like creature with predominantly black fur, except for the fur on its arms and its long, prehensile tail. Its hands, feet, and ears are all white, while its claws are black. It wears small, yellow and blue bracelets and anklets, as well as a dark red tunic over its upper body. Most notably, the Shaman wears a mask that covers most of its face, save for its ears and glowing, yellow eyes._ _It attacks from afar and moves around very little. It is very magic-resistant and nullifies all attacks while taking on its mask form._


	9. Chapter 8: Clash at the Arena

_**Chapter 8: Clash at the Arena**_

 ** _-Interstellar Arena: Parking Lot-_**

 **(Field Theme: Wonder of Electron)**

After flying around in the lanes in between, the three decided to stop at another world to do more searching. This world seemed more robotic and sort of sci-fi-looking. Spongebob parked the Gummi Ship into a lot filled with other ships and got out. Patrick nudged the sponge, "Um..are you sure the King would be in a place like this?" Patrick asked, looking around at a bunch of the world's residents which had included both humans and robots alike. Spongebob turned and shrugged, "Who knows, we can't just skip around. We might miss him."

Kioku raised an eyebrow, "What's your king look like anyways?" The teen asked curiously. Patrick turned to Kioku.

"He's a large, red krab with two tube-like eyes and he has these big, meaty claws!" The starfish described. Kioku took another look around and scoffed. "Sounds like an easy target when you're in a place like this." The three were then approaching large double doors, and suddenly they heard laughing and yelling behind them. Turning around, they saw a group of robot ruffians banging and kicking at the Gummi Ship.

"What in heck is this piece a' junk?" One of the robot's said. "It's all bright and blocky-lookin'". Another one laughed. Spongebob gritted his teeth at them and shook his fist.

"Hey! I'll have you know that the ship you're laughing at is very technologically advanced and highly modern!" The sponge shouted angrily. "You'd better step away from it if you know what's good for ya!" Spongebob had then began to pull out his staff.

"That's enough," Kioku said as he grabbed onto Spongebob's arms and had began to drag him into the large facility, with Patrick following behind the two.

* * *

 _ **-Interstellar Arena: Lobby-**_

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick walked into a lobby, the setting looking intergalactic and futuristic, like the inside of a spaceship. There was a check-in desk, and behind it was a small old lady and a female robot. Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick walked up to the check-in line. The smaller old lady had styled blonde-gray hair, wearing clear stylized glasses with a white button-down labcoat and turtleneck. The three approached the desk and the old lady greeted them.

"Greetings, my name is Professor Nora Wakeman, the robot standing next to me is my daughter, Jennifer Wakeman, or X-J9 as i prefer to call her. And welcome to the Interstellar Arena!" The old lady greeted merrily.

"Hey!" Jenny waved with a smile..

"So, this is where tournaments are held?" Kioku asked, looking around the area. Nora nodded, "Why yes, we get visitors from many different places that come and sign up to participate in the exciting matches we hold! Oh, how very oh so exciting it is!" Nora put a hand on Jenny's shoulder. "My daughter is one of my best fighters, alongside another two other swell young persons."

Jenny looked away with an embarrassed expression on her face, "Mom, you're embarrassing me.."

"Are there any prizes?", Patrick asked. "Do we get anything for winning?"

Nora nodded, "Why yes, dear. Specially made trophies will be given out to the winners of a cup." She explained. "We also award those who place first on any scoreboard with powerful weapons."

"Cool, then sign us up!" Kioku said with an eager smile. Spongebob quickly nudged Kioku with his elbow.

"Kioku, we don't have time to fight in tournaments. We've got things to do!" Spongebob whispered, "We need to find out if the-"

"C'mon Spongebob!" The starfish interrupted. "We can have a little fun can't we?" Patrick slapped his friend on the back. Kioku joined in. "Yeah, after we win a tourney or two, we can continue on our journey!" Kioku said, making Spongebob groan in annoyance..

"So will you be joining?" Jenny asked. Kioku and Patrick looked at Spongebob, waiting for him to answer. Spongebob gave in. "Alright! Alright! Sign us up!" He yelled.

Nora smiled, "Names?"

"Kioku!" The teen gave Nora a thumbs up.

"Spongebob Squarepants." The sponge sighed.

"Uh..Patrick Star!" The starfish shouted happily.

Nora quickly entered their information into her computer. "Alright, and what cup would you like to fight in today?"

"What cups are available?" Kioku asked.

Jenny squinted her eyes at the screen, "Well, for you, just one. And that's the Nora cup."

"Okay then, Nora cup it is." Kioku shrugged. Nora nodded at the request and typed more stuff into her computer and finished signing them up.

"Splendid! I'll have to make an announcement!" Nora smiled as she then began to talk into the intercom.

 **"Attention all participants. Three new fighters have entered into the Nora cup. Please show them your gratitude by giving them your all in the tourney. The tournament will begin in 2 hours. Happy fighting!"**

"Okay boys, My daughter here will escort you to the Training Center for practice before you participate in the tourney." Nora said as she gestured to her robotic daughter. "Right this way, guys." Jenny jumped from across the desk and began to walk the three to the Training Arena. "Follow me." As they were walking, they saw a hooded boy, carrying a sword that was shaped like a lightning bolt and holding a large book and a girl with blue hair, who carried a sword and wore a cape. Jenny apparently knew them, as she had called over to them.

"Robin! Lucina! How's it going?" Jenny waved to her two friends.

The boy, Robin, smiled and nodded.. "Hey Jenny, how are you?" The swordswoman, Lucina, smiled and waved too. "Hi. Who's your friends?"

"Oh, these guys are Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick. They're the new fighters." She introduced the three, with Kioku and the others waving as a result. "Hiya." Kioku smiled.

Jenny turned to the other three, "And guys, these two are Lucina and Robin, they're regulars here."

Robin pointed in the opposite direction " Say, are you guys heading to the Training Center?"

"Yeah," Jenny nodded. "What's up?"

"Can we come with, I want to show them the ropes." Lucina asked, cracking her knuckles..

"Sure," Jenny nodded, "Let's go."

* * *

 ** _-Interstellar Arena: Training Center-_**

They entered the large Arena, which was nearly filled with fighters turned to Kioku and the others "Ready, guys?" The robot asked.

Kioku summoned his Keyblade in a quick flash of light, a smile branded on his face. Lucina and Robin were both startled at the sudden appearance of the boy's weapon and stared at it. "What an peculiar weapon. May I examine it?" Lucina asked as she walked up to Kioku. He was hesitant at first, and the whole incident from Town of Mysteries came to mind. But thinking of it now, he shrugged it off and held his Keyblade out to Lucina. "It's called a Keyblade." the teen said.

"A Keyblade?" Lucina asked as she carefully brushed her fingertips along the shaft of the Guardian Locker. Robin became a bit curious and walked over to look at the Keyblade. "I've never seen anything like this before," she commented.

"Yeah, it looked way better than my sword, that's for sure." Robin complimented, making the keybearer's cheeks turn red.

"Well, it's not _that_ great.." Kioku chuckled in a flustered tone. Spongebob rolled his eyes impatiently, "So can we get on with the training or are you two gonna keep gawking at Kioku's Keyblade?"

Lucina and Robin flinched at Spongebob's words, "Oh yes! The training." The two chuckled in unison. Jenny looked at Kioku, "So, are you good with that Keyblade?" she asked.

"Ehh..He's alright." Spongebob answered with a smirk as he folded his arms.

Patrick chuckled, "Yeah, he's pretty good for a beginner." the starfish teased.

Kioku glared at the two, "Gee, thanks a lot you two!"

Lucina nodded, "Very well, show me your resolve, Kioku."

The teen smiled, "Okay, you've got it."

Kioku and Lucina walked out into the large open arena, the crowd of fighters that were training from before had spread around the perimeter of the ring to give the two space to spar. Lucina drew her sword, and Kioku got in a stance with his Keyblade.

"Alright, don't hold back!" Lucina said as she got into her stance.

* * *

 _-Pratice Round: Lucina-_

 **(Battle Music: No More Bugs!)**

Kioku and Lucina dashed at each other, they traded swings. Lucina parried Kioku's attack and slashed him in the chest. He flew back and hit the ground. He flipped back up to his feet and exhaled quickly. Kioku smirked and dashed over to Lucina and swept her legs from under her with a swing from his Keyblade and backed away. "A little cheeky..", Lucina grumbled just before she jumped up and dashed at the boy.

"You're pretty good!" Lucina shouted, her blade emitted a blue glow and she captured Kioku with a slash from her blade. The blade moved fast, like it was dancing swiftly on a ballroom floor, but Kioku managed to keep up with her as he managed to block most of her quick swings. The two had then clashed blades and their eyes locked. Lucina smiled, "Your style is a bit unorthodox, self-taught?" she asked. Kioku pushed his weight against Lucina's sword.

"When you've been sparring with your best friend for nearly 10 years, you tend to pick a few things up!" Kioku answered. "But yeah, I don't have particular style, I just let my Keyblade take control." Lucina smirked as her blade then emitted a red glow and she shoved him away and quickly jumped forward and kicked Kioku with all the force she could muster, knocking him to the ground. The boy rolled up to his feet in recovery.

Kioku then cocked back and threw his Keyblade at Lucina, the large key spinning as it when flying across the Arena, hitting Lucina as it passed her and hit her again as it came back to him. The Keyblade had dazed her for a short moment, giving Kioku time to get closer and pull off a few quick swings to loosely chain a combo together. He knocked Lucina up into the air and swung his Keyblade all over the place to keep her in the air with as many hits as he could. Lucina recovered and dodged one of Kioku's attacks and brought her foot down on Kioku's head, which sent him flying towards the ground.

The boy spun towards the floor and slammed on both of his feet. Kioku felt an electrifying tingling in his body and he had begun to rapidly spin his Keyblade. Electricity sparked and crackled all over the Keyblade and he spun around and pointed his weapon into the air, "THUNDER!" he shouted as a few bright blue lighting bolts flashed down upon Lucina, accompanied by the loud booming of thunder. Lucina, however, managed to dodge the attack as she glided towards the floor. Spongebob and Patrick winced as they watched Kioku and Lucina go at it, while Robin smiled.

"He's pretty good. If he practices more, he'll be almost as good as Lucina." Robin commented, the sounds of key and sword clanging and clashing together in the background. Spongebob looked up at the boy. "You really think so, Robin?"

Robin took off his hood, now showing his healthy, young face and his shaggy white hair. "Yeah. I just know it. Kioku is oozing with potential."

Kioku dodged Lucina's blade with a back flip and countered with a swift strike to her chin, making Lucina fly back and hit the floor. Kioku panted, "Jeez.." he wheezed as he dismissed his Keyblade.

Lucina got back up and smiled, her face glistening with sweat. She stood up and sheathed her sword.

"Very good, Kioku." Lucina complimented. "I'll definitely be rooting for you."

Kioku smiled and nodded. "Thanks! You're pretty good yourself."

The two of them went back to the others, who gave the two a round of applause for their sparring match, while Jenny squealed with utter joy.

"That was totally awesome!" The robot squealed excitedly.

Lucina wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead, "Well, he definetly made me break a sweat."

"Well _he_ needs to rest up. We can't have a faulty teammate." Spongebob said. Kioku nodded in agreement.

The intercom then came on. **"Attention. Will Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick please report to the Arena to commence the Nora cup. I repeat, Will Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick please report to the Arena to commence the Nora cup."**

Kioku scoffed, "Guess there's no time to rest right quick, huh?" Spongebob shook his head and handed the boy an Elixir from his pouch.

"Knock 'em dead, guys." Lucina winked. :Don't disappoint me, Kioku."

"We'll be cheering you guys on from the stands.."Robin cheesed sheepishly.

"Thanks, guys." Kioku nodded just before turning to his two friends. "Let's go." The three then took off to find the arena.

* * *

 ** _-Interstellar Arena: Lobby-_**

A corridor of darkness opened in the middle of the lobby and stepping out of it was both Vicky and Vlad. The two looked around the lobby, taking in the sights and the looks of the residents. Vicky pursed her lips, "What in the hell is this place exactly, seems like both robots and humans reside here." she commented as she folded her arms behind her head.

Vlad smirked. "This is the Interstellar Arena, judging by the name it seems like this place is where people from different worlds come to test their strength."

"You think those three twerps are here?" Vicky asked, looked up at the tall, ghostly man. He shrugged, "Who knows, it wouldn't hurt to look around." Vlad said, pointing a thumb to the check-in desk. The teen girl groaned and followed Vlad over to the counter.

Nora smiled at the two. "Why hello there! You two look like fine fighters. Will you be interested in signing up for our tournament?"

A ghostly male voice spoke. "No, thank you. Perhaps you could help us with something?

Nora nodded, "Sure, what can I help you with?" she asked with a smile.

Vicky shot a threatening look at Nora, "We're wondering if three doofuses passed by. Some brat with a key and two sea creature things."

"Oh, you must be talking about the three new competitors!" Nora gasped. "Those three are fighting in the Nora cup right as we speak. I'm afraid I can't sign you up, but you're welcome to go and spectate!"

Vlad rubbed his goatee, "Thank you, we'll be on our way to take our seats. Come now, Vicky." Vlad grunted as he lightly shoved his accomplice. The two quickly walked towards the doors that lead to the arena. Vicky pouted with disappointment.

"Great, if we had entered the tournament we could've easily killed those three." Vicky cursed to herself. "I would say just take them out, but we're in an arena full of good guys it seems like."

"Patience, my dear," Vlad said calmly. "If we can't get rid of the problem ourselves, we could manipulate someone else to do it for us." Vlad chuckled darkly. Vicky's eyes widen, "Ohh, you mean we could use the darkness to pull the strings from the sidelines. Use their opponents to our advantage."

The ghostly man laughed, "You catch on quick, my dear."

* * *

 _ **Winslow's Journal  
**_

 _ *****_ ** _Professor. Nora Wakeman:_** _A cheery scientist who runs the Interstellar Arena. She is the trainer and "mother" of Jenny Wakeman or "XJ-9"._ _**She invents a lot of useful things in "My Life of as a Teenage Robot" (2003).**_

 _ ***XJ-9 "Jenny" Wakeman:** The daughter of Nora Wakeman. She is both the announcer and one of the Interstellar Arena's top fighters. **She fights to keep her world safe from harm in "My Life as** **a Teenage Robot" (2003).**  
_

 _ ***Lucina:** A kind and determined fighter who is a regular in the Interstellar Arena, along with her friend Robin. **She has the heart of a warrior in "Fire Emblem: Awakening" (2012).** _

_***Robin:** A level-headed boy is one of the arena's best fighters, and is a regular alongside his friend Lucina. **His past is a shrouded mystery in "Fire Emblem: Awakening" (2012** **).**_


	10. Chapter 9: The Villainous Encounter

_**Chapter 9: The Villainous Encounter  
**_

 _ **-Interstellar Arena: Arena-**_

As Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick entered the Arena, they were greeted by a loud, cheering energetic crowd. The stands were filled to the brim with both robots and humans, they could see Lucina and Robin in the stands waving at them. A large spotlight shined on the three of them, causing Kioku to shield his eyes. He noticed Spongebob and Patrick not shriveling up into a pile of dust. "Hey, aren't you guys not suppose to be in a warm light like this?"

Spongebob nodded, "Well, yeah. If we didn't have this spell on us." the sponge shouted over the cheers of the crowd. "It's a little late to mention this, but I using this spell that allows me and Patrick to breath air since we're from a world that underwater."

Kioku nodded, "Interesting." The three then made their way into the center of the arena and they look around at the cheering and whistling crowd that surrounded them. A certain charge of energy rushed through Kioku's body, and he found himself smiling. "There's so many people here," He said.

"Yeah," Patrick nodded. "And they all came to watch us fight."

From the other side of the arena, Jenny came over to them with a microphone in her hand. She waved at the three of them and had began to speak to the raging crowd. "Are you all ready for a show?!" Jenny shouted, and in return the audience got even rowdier and louder by the second. She turned to look at the keybearer, who was already pumped up. Patrick nudged Jenny, "Is the audience always this rowdy?" He asked. The robot nodded.

"We've always got an energetic crowd filling the stands no matter who's participating." Jenny answered just before turning and addressing the crowd. "That's what I like to hear. Now let's get started. Participating in the cup named after my mom, the Nora Cup, are three heroes looking tojust let loose and have some fun." Jenny smirked. "Please give a raging round of applause for Kioku and his pals, Spongebob and Patrick!"

The crowd cheered even louder as Kioku laughed and summoned his Keyblade raising it in the air victoriously. Spongebob took off his hat and bowed and Patrick jumped around happily. Jenny twirled the mic in her hand. "Easy boys, don't get too happy now. Save all that energy for your opponents."

"Well without further ado. Let's do it!" Jenny cheered. "Alright! Bring on the challengers." Kioku shouted energetically.

Jenny cheesed. "At the 10th seed, we've got a few dastardly demons that threatens to take out our new challengers!"

A couple of Heartless appeared in the center of the Arena. A few Shadows and Soldiers, and a new emblem Heartless that took on the appearance of a mechanical robot. Kioku and his partner's readied their weapons. An eerie cackled echoed through the arena, followed by the loud snapping of one's fingers and suddenly the number of Heartless increased rapidly. Mostly Shadows.

"What the?" Patrick exclaimed. Kioku looked around, "Is this part of the show?"

"What's this? It seems that something has made the opponents of the 10th seed call in reinforcements. Stay sharp boys!" Jenny warned.

* * *

 ** _-10th Seed: Cyber Shadows-_**

Kioku rolled out of the way of the robot Heartless's laser and countered with a swift combo that knocked it into three Shadows, obliterating them all at once. Spongebob summoned an explosive bubble that slowly homed in on the Soldiers, making the Heartless prance away from it with the bubble in pursuit. The bubble soon trapped the Soldiers and exploded, destroying them as well. Patrick tossed his shields on the ground into the robot Heartless (Energizers) and Shadows, which caused them to be launched up into the air.

Kioku followed up by tossing his Keyblade up in the air and leaping up after it. He attacked all of the airborne Heartless with swift attacks, which made the crowd go crazy with cheering and whistling. Kioku finished them off with pulling them all in with an Aero spell and making it disperse, defeating the Heartless as the windy orb exploded. The crowd roared as a result, making the three of them smile and wave at them in return.

"You've got major guts, boys. But don't get too cocky, that was only the first battle!" Jenny announced. Standing on the sidelines and watching the three take on the Heartless were Vicky and Vlad. The two stood by the double doors and out of sight of the audience and Jenny. The older villain angered at how easily the enhanced Heartless were defeated.

"Those Heartless were suppose to tear them apart!" Vlad growled. "Even the Heartless that were already out there were stronger than what they were supposed to be!"

Vicky sighed, "With all due respect Plasmius, those Heartless you called were completely weak. You're going soft on 'em.."

Vlad huffed and crossed his arms. "Hmph, don't get so cocky. You really think you can call stronger Heartless?" He sneered.

Vicky cracked her knuckles. "Watch and learn."

Jenny got back on the microphone, "Alright! Up next is the 9th seed, let's see how our heroes do against these guys!" Vicky snapped her fingers and called some more Heartless onto the field. The Heartless that appeared looked big and round, and had the Heartless emblem on it's chest. Big Bodies are they were called, and seven of them there were.

* * *

 ** _-9th Seed: Big n' Burly-_**

The Big Bodies slid over to Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick at a fast rate, crashing right into them and damaging them. Kioku recovered and attacked quickly, but his Keyblade did little damage to it's large stomach. The Big Body wound up it's fist and punched Kioku and sent him flying across the Arena. Kioku quickly recovered again and cracked his knuckles. "That bastard.."

Just as the Heartless were beginning to attack again, Spongebob quickly used a Stop spell to hold the enemies in place for a while. "Get ready, guys!" Spongebob ordered loudly. The three charged up and moved quickly all about the Arena. All the crowd saw were three blurs passing by the Heartless at a fast rate. Soon after, the spell wore off and the Heartless winced and flinched, now that they were reacting to the slashes that Kioku and his comrades gave them. The Heartless disappeared in dark purple mist, making the crowd cheer in reaction. Kioku and his partners raised their weapons in the air victoriously.

"Oh my goodness! These three are just full of tricks!" Jenny screamed happily. Vicky pouted and shook her head, "They're too strong for their own good."

Vlad smirked, "I think it's time we've introduced ourselves."

* * *

The 8th seed came around, Kioku slashed through the Heartless, not knowing that Vlad and Vicky continued to call them.

By the 7th seed, everything had gotten slightly harder. Since Patrick used two shields, he has a tough time keeping up with them. Kioku constantly blocked attacks that were directed towards Patrick and countered them. Spongebob healed and used heavily offensive spells against the enemies, resulting in them bringing it home.

6th seed was a close call. Kioku nearly died fighting off a Big Body that refused to go down. It kept pounding Kioku with it's fists and body slamming him. Spongebob had quickly saved Kioku by healing him in the matter of seconds. Patrick picked up the slack and made quick work of the remaining enemies.

5th seed was most exhausting for the heroes. The Shaman Heartless from Land of the Wild had cursed Kioku and prevented him from using any magic. Even though it wasn't necessarily a problem, using the Keyblade tired him out a lot. But Spongebob managed to break Kioku's curse by defeating the Shamans.

The 4th, 3rd and 2nd seeds were a walk in the park, neither Kioku, Spongebob nor Partick had any problems. The seeds mostly contained Shadows and all the other weak Heartless.

* * *

The first seed had finally come and it was the moment everyone was waiting for, including Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick.

"Ladies and gents. The time has come to introduce our three fighters to the first and final seed of the night!" Jenny smiled, "Coming to the Arena-"

The sudden appearance of the Heartless had interrupted Jenny's announcement had begin to surround Kioku and the others. The crowd gasped at the mishap, making Kioku get into a stance with his Keyblade. "What in the.."

Jenny looked around suspiciously, "What the heck?! These Heartless aren't even part of this seed!" The robot put up her fists and lashed out at the hostile Heartless, taking them out with a swift kick. After she finished them off, she retreated back to Kioku and looked around. "Now, who are the guys responsible for letting loose these Heartless into the arena?"

 ** _"Greetings, Kioku."_** A haunting voice echoed through the area. Kioku and the others looked around to find the source of the voice, but couldn't find out where it came from. A corridor of darkness opened up and coming out of it were both Vlad and Vicky. The ghostly man smiled and bowed, "A pleasure to finally meet you, Kioku and friends of the King."

Kioku gasped and glared at the man. "Y-You know my name?!"

"Why yes...I also know that you are the Keyblade's chosen one." Vlad nodded.

"Why are you here, Plasmius?" Spongebob asked, summoning his staff in defense.

"Oh, good question. Me and my pupil are here to exterminate the problem." Vlad said as he gestured towards Vicky, who had nodded in agreement. "Could you guess the problem?"

Vicky waved, "And if you're not smart enough, then you three are the problem we need to take care of." She hissed. "Especially you, key-boy."

Kioku clenched his Keyblade tightly. "You guys had better beat it and leave all these people outta this!"

"Y'know, you kinda remind me of a bucktoothed brat I once knew," Vicky smirked. "But, I plunged him and my pathetic world into darkness. And we plan to do the same to this world after we kill you and turn every single soul here into a Heartless." She cackled

Jenny shook her head, "Not on my watch! There's no way I'm gonna stand by and let a couple of bad guys crash this tournament!" the robot stood next to Kioku and put her fists up. "Let's take these guys out!"

Vlad laughed as he channeled his strength, causing a dark aura to wash around him. "Ha ha, this is gonna be fun!"

* * *

 **(INFORMATION: Defeat Vlad Plasmius and Vicky with the help of Jenny!)**

 **(Battle Music: Vim and Vigor)**

Kioku had little time to reaction when Vlad had quickly clashed blades with him. Kioku fought hard to fend off against the ghost-like man, but he ended up pushing Vlad backwards and drop kicking him. Vlad slashed Kioku with his ethereal sword, stunning the young Keybearer. Jenny turned her right hand into a large buzz saw and slashed at Vlad, preventing the man from attacking again.

Vicky charged at Spongebob and fired an orb of raw darkness at him, Patrick ran over to his friend and blocked the attack with one of his shields while tossing the second one and knocking Vicky away. She got back up and charged two more darkness balls in each hand. "You twerps are dead!"

Meanwhile, Kioku managed to rolled out of the way of Vlad's blade swings with Jenny occasionally assisting in parrying his attacks. Kioku got up and attacked the man with a few swats from his Keyblade, making Vlad grunt in pain with every hit. "This is it!" Kioku flipped into the air and slammed his Keyblade into Vlad's shoulder, making him fall down to his knees. Spongebob shot explosive bubbles at Vicky, who managed to dodge them with her agile-like movements. She got up close to Spongebob and uppercut him into the air and then leaped up after him and kicked him away again. Patrick threw his shields at Vicky and took her out of the air. The sponge fired a Thunder spell on Vicky and stunned her, making Vicky fall to the floor in fatigue. "What the..."

Vlad grunted as he stood up with a limp."Impressive.." he muttered. Vicky picked herself up and wiped the blood from her mouth. "Crap..we failed.." Vicky cursed.

Kioku shouted angrily at the two, "Now do yourselves a favor and get the hell outta here!"

Vlad bowed, "As we will, young Keyblade warrior." He looked up with smirk. "But be warned, this will not be our last attempt to exterminate you."

Vicky flipped the four of them off, "Watch your backs, twerps." The two then made their ways towards the doors. The robot picked up the mic again and smiled. She began to speak, "With that out of the way! The 1st and final Seed is here, folks! And boy do we have a treat for you all." Jenny announced. "Coming to the Arena! A big and bad monster from another world..."

"...Known for capturing his opponents in his cages and making them his dinner. The mean, the nasty..PETEY PIRANHA!"

A large plant mutation with arms and legs came charging out of the door, roaring as he spun his cages around. Petey is characterized by a remarkably large head and a comparably small body. He has a round, protuberant belly and a large belly button. Additionally, he has leaf-like arms and stubby legs, both of which grant him mobility. He also has green lips, which are similar to the lips of the old Piranha Plants but now contrast the white lips of the new Piranha Plants. He wears red pants with white polka dots, matching the coloration of his head. His most distinguishing feature is a ring of yellow petals with orange rims around his head, resembling a crown or a mane.

Vlad looked back and smiled malevolently. "He's perfect..that monster would make the perfect Heartless."

"Already on it.." Vicky smirked. She snapped her fingers, causing a dark aura to form around Petey and possess him. Petey had then roared loudly, a dark aura grew stronger around him. Kioku gasped and quickly rolled out of the way as Petey slammed his cage on the ground.

"What's happened to him?" Spongebob asked, shocked at how hostile the monster had just became. Kioku turned and looked over at Vlad and Vicky, who gave him an evil smile right before leaving through a corridor of darkness.

* * *

 **(INFORMATION: Defeat Petey Piranha! Watch out for his cages!)**

 **(Battle Music: Untamable)**

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick scattered as Petey slammed his large cages on the ground. Kioku leaped into the air and attacked Petey with an air combo, then ending it with a strong attack that got Petey down. Kioku ran near Spongebob, "Let's go, Sponge!" The teen took Spongebob's hand, who had then jumped up and got on Kioku's shoulders. Spongebob formed explosive bubbles around Petey and made them explode. Kioku spun into Petey with his Keyblade as Spongebob summoned more explosive bubbles and made them explode.

"TAKE THAT!" Spongebob yelled as he floated into the air and summoned more explosive bubbles to rain down upon Petey and create a massive explosion. Petey roared in pain and spun around in a circle, hitting the three with his cages in retaliation. Spongebob, unfortunately, got trapped in one of his cages. "AHH! Kioku!" the sponge called out in fear.

Petey Piranha chuckled. Kioku gritted his teeth and attacked the cage holding Spongebob. He dodged most of Petey's attacks with flips. Kioku spun his Keyblade and slammed it on the ground creating a burst that stunned Petey on impact. Kioku hurried and freed Spongebob from the cage. Petey then recovered, he then jumped up and slammed himself on the ground, creating a shock wave that the three of them moved out of the way to avoid. He pulled out his Crimson Charm, feeling the strong aura coming from the charm. "C'mon..." Kioku whispered as he clenched the charm. He then put it to his heart. "...Give me _**STRENGTH**_!"

Bursting in from an orb of light was the red superhero himself, Crimson Chin. Kioku was surprised by the hero's sudden appearance, not really expecting anyone to be summoned from the charm. Crimson Chin picked Kioku up and put him on his shoulders. "You ready for this, sport?"

"Wait a sec!" Kioku stuttered. "Who are you, and where did you come from?!"

"The name's Crimson Chin," The red, big chinned hero introduced himself. "I heard your desperate call for help, and here I am." Crimson Chin explained as he quickly ran as fast as lightning and overwhelmed Petey with punching and kicking combos, Kioku then coming in to assist with strikes from his Keyblade. "Well, nice to meet you!"

Crimson Chin picked Kioku up and threw him up into the air. "Up, Up and Away! **"** Kioku crashes down on Petey, Keyblade first. Crimson Chin kept throwing the boy up into the air, letting Kioku crash down on the monster again and again. Kioku then landed on the ground and stood next to Crimson Chin. "Ready, sport?" he asked as he looked down at him.

"Take this!" Kioku shouted as he raised his Keyblade up into the air and lent Crimson Chin some of his Keyblade's power. The hero's large chin glowed a bright red, he cocked back and fired off a large, bright red beam that decimated Petey. "Crimson Chin, away!" Crimson Chin's time ran short and he disappeared.

 **(Kioku: Bonus: HP increased, MP increased)**

 **(Spongebob: Bonus: HP increased)**

 **(Patrick: Bonus: MP increased)**

* * *

Petey Piranha roared in defeat and fell to the ground with a thud. The possessive aura left his body. Kioku and the other two yawned in exhaustion, but were soon woken up as the crowd went absolutely nuts, chanting Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick's names over and over. Jenny smiled and turned to the crowd and got ready to speak into her mic. "Ladies and Gents, please give it up for our first place winners! Kioku! Spongebob Squarepants! and Patrick Star!"

Jenny, Nora, Lucina and Robin all raced over to the three to congratulate them. "Wow, you guys were really great out there!" Robin cheered. "Especially when you took out those bad guys!"

"I agree, you three did very well." Lucina nodded.

"A simply splendid performance!" Nora said excitedly. "I apologize for letting a couple of two-timing ruffians into the arena, I will try to prevent it from ever happening again. Patrick nodded, "It's okay, at least they didn't cause any real trouble."

Jenny smiled and hugged Kioku. "Congrats." She whispered.

"Aww, it was nothin'. It's all in a day's work." Kioku smiled sheepishly as he folded his hands behind his head. Nora cleared her throat, "For winning first place in the Nora cup, I present to you! A gift!" She handed Kioku a robotic-looking Keychain. The teen nodded, "Thanks guys."

Kioku's Keyblade shook violently, and a keyhole appeared in the air. He pointed his blade at the keyhole and sealed it with a skinny white beam, a bright lighe then enveloping the area and a loud locking sound triggering afterwards. "What now, champs?" Robin asked.

"We gotta get going." Kioku answered, holding his Keyblade on his shoulder.

"Aw C'mon, the champs can't leave now. The fans are asking for an encore." Jenny said, gesturing towards the surrounding audience.

"Sorry, but it's time to get back to business." Spongebob said. "But we were glad we could come here and hang out for a while."

"Good luck on your journey." Lucina smiled as she pat Kioku on his shoulder. "You have the potential to grow stronger, Kioku. Keep at it."

"Yeah, we'll be rooting for you guys." Robin added, both Jenny and Nora nodding in agreement.

"And come back and visit sometime." Jenny said, "We'll always be holding matches, so feel free to drop by anytime!"

"Will do." Kioku nodded. "Well, see ya!" The three then waved goodbye and went back to their Gummi Ship.

* * *

 _ **{OBTAINED:**_

 _ **Inventor's Brawn: ATK 5|MAG 7}**_

* * *

 ** _-Gummi Ship: Lanes in Between-_**

"Alright! On to the nex-" Kioku stopped and noticed a spinning vortex near Shelby's world, Town of Mysteries. "Wait a sec..I see a vortex near Town of Mysteries, do we need to go in it?" Spongebob shook his head. "Nope. We're gonna need a Navi-Gummi. It's an attachment that'll help us get to the vortex that'll open up the paths to new worlds."

"And where will we find that, Spongebob?" Patrick asked.

"Back in Daybreak Town. A kid named Jimmy Neutron will be able to install it for us." Spongebob answered, making Kioku's eyes light up. "Oh, I remember him." Kioku said, mentioning the time Kioku ended up in Daybreak Town and met Jimmy from visiting his site. "I met him when I first got to Daybreak Town."

"Well, you two can catch up some when we get there." Spongebob chuckled "We've been gone for a while, so maybe we should check in with everyone while we wait for our Navi-Gummi to be installed."

They then blasted off to Daybreak Town to get a new Gummi installed, so that they can continue on with their journey.

* * *

 ** _-Winslow's Journal-_**

 ** _*Vlad Plasmius:_** _A researcher who studied Heartless and Ghosts and delved into secrets of the worlds. He organized his findings into a single volume known as Vlad's report. When he inexplicably vanished, most of its pages were scattered to the winds. He and a gang of trouble makers from other worlds now set out to try an eliminate Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick. **He was a ghostly villain in "Danny Phantom" (2004).**  
_

 _ ***Vicky:** A teenage villainess who the Council of Villain's second-in-command. She is revealed to have plunged her own world into darkness and has natural control over the darkness, making the Heartless easier to control. **She was an evil babysitter in "Fairly Odd Parents" (2001).**  
_

 _ **-Heartless-**_

 _ ***Energizers:** Robot-like Emblem Heartless who are mostly common in the Interstellar Arena. They mostly use Thunder magic and can also fire lasers at their opponents. Using Thunder against them will only replenish their HP.  
_

 ** _*Large Bodies:_** _Big round Heartless. They seem tame and laid-back, but go berserk when they are angered. With their brute strength, they can inflict great damage, so be on your guard._


	11. Chapter 10: Return to Daybreak

_**Chapter 10: Return to Daybreak**_

 ** _-Daybreak Town: Fountain Plaza-_**

 **(Field Theme: The Afternoon Streets)**

After the three had arrived in Daybreak Town, they found themselves in the Plaza area from before. Even though it's been hours since Kioku had first arrival in this town, he had quickly forgotten how peaceful and quiet the town was. "Man, it's so peaceful here." Kioku sighed, looking around at the townspeople coming and going.

"Yeah, I could just lie right down and take a nap." Patrick yawned. Spongebob shook his head. "C'mon guys, we gotta go get that Navi-Gummi if we're gonna go looking for the king some more."

"Well, let's go." Kioku commanded, walking towards the shopping district. "I think I remember the way to Jimmy's shop."

The three of them made their way to Neutron's Accessories, with Kioku mostly trying to retrace his steps from before..

* * *

 ** _-Daybreak Town: Neutron's Accessories-_**

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick entered the shop and greeted the boy genius. Jimmy waved, "Heya guys. Need some installations done on your Gummi Ship, Spongebob?" he asked.

"Yeah, I never bothered to get the Navi-Gummi installed so.." Spongebob chuckled, shrugging sheepishly.

"Well, I'll get right on that," Jimmy said. Before he went to the back, he nodded to Kioku. "And nice to see you again..Kioku."

Kioku smiled and waved, "Nice to see you too, Jim!"

Jimmy had then put on his goggled and reached down to pick up Goddard, "C'mon boy, this Navi-Gummi won't install itself." The boy and his robot dog went to the back of the shop to find the Navi Gummi to install, leaving the three alone.

Patrick scratched his head, "So, what should we do while we wait?"

"How about we go pay Link and the others a visit?" Spongebob suggested, mentioning the group they met from before.

"Alright, sounds good." Kioku nodded in agreement. The three then left the shop and headed over to find Link.

* * *

 ** _-Daybreak Town: Streets-_**

After Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick walked through the town for a few minutes, they found Link casually leaning up against a lightpole with his eyes closed. They approached the man, "What's up, Link?" Kioku greeted happily.

The man opened one of his eyes, "You've found the keyhole." Link stated, mentioning Kioku's visitations of the other worlds.

"Yeah." Spongebob smiled. "His Keyblade locked it instantly."

"Good," Link nodded. "Every world amongst the stars has a keyhole, and each one leads to the heart of that world. There's probably one in this town as well." Link explained.

"How so?" Patrick asked.

"Read it in one of Vlad's reports," Link smirked. "Apparently the Heartless enters a world and does something to it's core."

"What happens to the world?" Kioku asked, curious of the world's fate.

"It disappears." Link answered in a dark tone.

"Huh?!" Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick exclaimed in unison.

"That's why your key is so important." Link said, looking at Kioku. "So make sure you lock each and every keyhole."

"Speaking of Heartless and keyholes," Link opened his eyes and unfolded his arms. "This place has been acting strange lately."

"What's going on?" Patrick asked.

"The sky has been switching from daybreak to nightfall, again." Link explained."And when that happens, the Heartless appear in town. I'm afraid for the townspeople and the fate of this world." Link sighed. "I also think that the source is coming from the Vacant Plaza."

Kioku gave the older man a determined look, "So, what's the plan?"

"Head down to the Vacant Plaza and destroy the Heartless causing this." Link instructed. "And make sure you seal the keyhole to this world."

"Got it." Spongebob nodded. "We'll take that Heartless down in no time!"

"Alright, we'll see what we can do." Kioku said. "Let's go patrol the town for any Heartless." The teen said as he looked at both of his companions.

"Sure you'll be all right?" Link asked, concern dripping from his voice.

"We'll be fine." Spongebob said. "So far, we've been taking on a bunch of Heartless in a few worlds. This one will be a walk in the park!"

"Alright." Link nodded. He then pulled out a large book and shoved it into Kioku's arms, who nearly fell over due to the book's weight. Spongebob and Patrick gave the cover of the book a stare. The cover was torn and ragged, making the picture difficult to make out. "You mind delivering that to someone, thanks." Link then turned and walked away. "Meet us back at the HQ when you're done, got it?"

"Hey, wait!" Patrick yelled out, but Link was already down the street and barely in sight.

"Where's the HQ?" Kioku muttered cluelessly, with the other two slumping over comedically.

* * *

 ** _-Patroling the streets-_**

The three patrolled the town through and through, and there wasn't a Heartless in sight. Yet. They decided to pay the Vacant Plaza a visit since Link told them the source of the problem might be there. Walking around the perimeter of the park, Kioku stopped and noticed a door with a flame insignia engraved on the door. Even though Kioku's been in the park before, he never really noticed the door.

Spongebob approached it and rubbed his chin in thought. "A flame. What could this mean?"

Patrick tried to shove the door open, but it wouldn't budge at all. Kioku looked at his Keyblade and the flame insignia on the door. The teen smiled as he thought of an idea. "Hey Spongebob, maybe Fire might open it up." Kioku suggested.

Spongebob's face lit up, "Hmm..here Pat, stand back and let Kioku do something."

"Okay." Patrick nodded and proceeded to stand out of the way of the door. Kioku then aimed his Keyblade at the door and fire a single Fire spell at the the door and as a result, the flame insignia on the door lit up. Kioku dismissed his Keyblade and stood back, "Alright, try it now."

Patrick charged at the door and pushed it open and on the other side they found a long staircase leading down to the darkness. Kioku and Spongebob peered down the staircase. "Should we go?" Spongebob asked.

"I..uh..don't see why not." Kioku shrugged.

* * *

 ** _-Daybreak Town: Mystical House-_**

After walking down a long flight of steps, Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick walked into what seemed to be a like a large cave-like area. "Whoa, never knew a place like this was hidden in a town like this." The teen commented in awe. In the distance was a small, rundown house that sat on a single grassy piece of land that was surrounded by a large body of water. In between them the house were four large stones that lead up to the house.

"I wonder what's in there." Patrick said, pointing to the house. "We'll never find out standing here. C'mon fellas, let's go!" Spongebob said cheerfully.

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick hopped across the stones and avoided falling in the water, and they reached the small, rundown house. The front door was blocked by crates and barrels, preventing the three from entering. "Well, there goes that idea." Patrick said sadly.

"Just a moment, maybe there's another way it." Spongebob pondered. "Kioku, check and see if there's a secret door somewhere."

Kioku nodded and ran around to the back of the house. When he got there he found a large hole that was covered up with a dark, raggedy cloth. "Think I found a way in!" Kioku called as he pushed the cloth out of the way and stepped into the old house.

* * *

 ** _-Daybreak Town: Old House-_**

When Kioku walked in, he was overtaken by a sudden storm of nostalgia. He was reminded of the huge, old treehouse back home. Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice. "There's something about this musty place." Taiyo said, approaching Kioku from behind. Kioku spun around and looked at her with relief in his eyes. "It reminds me of our big treehouse, where we used to scribble on the wooden walls." Taiyo went on, walking around the house. She then turned around to look at Kioku. "Do you remember?" she asked.

Kioku reached out to Taiyo. "T-Taiyo..?"

"Kioku?" Spongebob's voice had cut through the thick illusion that clouded Kioku's mind. He turned around and saw that Spongebob and Patrick had found their way in. Kioku turned back around to look at Taiyo, but she was gone. "Uh..but.."

 _"Well, you all came just in time."_ A voice rang. Poofing in, holding a bunch of equipment was a rather everyday-looking old man. He looked like he could be one of the residents of Town of Mysteries, but he obviously possessed magic judging from his intro. Kioku tilted his head in confusion. "You...knew we were coming?"

"Of course." Theman said as he set his stuff down. "You can call me Mr. Wizard. I'm a magician and also sort-of a sorcerer. I've been traveling from world to world and it's finally good to be back home."

"Ok then, Mr. Wizard." Spongebob said as he folded his arms. "How did you know that we were coming?"

Mr. Wizard answered the sponge's question while rifling through his bag. "Your king wanted my help."

"King Krabs?" Patrick raised his voice into a question, Mr. Wizard nodding in response. "I know you two are Spongebob and Patrick. But, who might the boy be?"

"I'm Kioku." the teen introduced himself.

"Oh okay, so you found the key, huh?" Mr. Wizard nodded at Spongebob and Patrick.

"What did the king ask you to do?" Spongebob asked, but was quickly cut off from Mr. Wizard. "You mind holding on a second?" Mr. Wizard chuckled, pulling out a wand and twirling it. Soon after waving around his wand around some, the old musty, rundown house became a science lab with bookshelves and a lot of other scientific stuff.

"That's a lot better." Mr. Wizard exhaled. He turned back to the three. "Now, the king asked me to train Kioku in the art of magic. Now don't worry, I know you have to continue on with your journey. So you can start when you want to."

"Thanks a lot, Mr. Wizard." Kioku nodded. "Well, it looks like there isn't any Heartless around here, so I guess we'll be going."

Spongebob bowed. "It was nice meeting you, Mr. Wizard."

"Just a second, Kioku." Mr. Wizard put a hand on Kioku's shoulder, "I noticed that you've obtained a Summon Charm, yes?"

Kioku nodded and showed Mr. Wizard his Crimson Chin Charm. "Yeah, I actually just used it in battle recently."

"Yes, yes." Mr. Wizard nodded. "Do you know how Summon Charms come to be?"

"N-no.." Kioku shook his head, as he found it odd that a single person could be summoned from a trinket. "How does a person end up in this..charm thing?"

Mr. Wizard began to explain. "Well, when someone's world gets destroyed, a really powerful being or beings' heart gets sealed in a magical charm. The charm disperses out to another world and is left there until someone comes to pick it up." Mr. Wizard explained.

"Oh yeah, Link also gave us this book." Patrick held up the book Link had given them and tried to read the title of the book. "Li..Litt..Littall...Bare?"

"Oh right! thank you, boys." Mr. Wizard thanked them and took the book from Patrick's hands. "This book is really special. I don't even know how, because it's not mine. But all I know, is that it found it's way into my bag and ever since, I've been intrigued by it. So much that I've asked Link to repair it for me." Mr. Wizard explained. "But..some of the pages are still missing though. They might be scattered off to different worlds. This book holds secrets, and by finding the missing pages, you might be able to unlock them." Mr. Wizard places the book on an empty table. "You can look at the book whenever want."

Kioku exhaled, "Jeez, so much information! It's gonna make my head explode." He slumped over in fatigue.

Mr. Wizard laughed. "Well, you three can get going now, visit me when you can!"

* * *

 _ **-Daybreak Town: Dark Streets-**_

After visiting Mr. Wizard, Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick walked down the darkened streets, and were now looking around for any Heartless encounters. Kioku sighed to himself as the thoughts of his friends entered his mind. When will he ever be able to reunite with them again? How many obscure worlds will he have to traverse just to see her smiling face again? Will it be an illusion, or reality this time? Kioku was so distracted by his new task of sealing the keyholes in order to save the worlds from the same fate his world endured and fighting off bad guys, that he forgot about looking for Taiyo and Yoru. Soon, as they was about to look somewhere else in town, a gang of Heartless had appeared and quickly surrounded them. Kioku summoned his Keyblade and got ready for a fight. "Look's like Link was right, the sky has darkened and now the Heartless are coming out."

"Well, then let's get to work!" Spongebob shouted as he summoned his staff. But... the Heartless were defeated in a single swipe of someone's blade. The three looked around in confusion, as there was nobody else in the streets except for them. Kiokulooked up and saw someone who looked like his best friend, Yoru, smiling at him. And soon enough, it actually was Yoru.

"Yo, Kioku." Yoru waved. "What's happenin'?" Yoru wielded a obscure looking sword, which resembled at demonic wing. "Yoru.." Kioku said in awe. He walked over and pinched Yoru's cheeks to make sure it wasn't an illusion. "Ow It's really me! Jeez..." Yoru exclaimed. "Now get off!"

Kioku smiled and hugged him. "Good to see you again!" Spongebob and Patrick looked at each other and then at Kioku and Yoru. "Kioku, who is this boy?" Patrick asked.

"This is Yoru. One of my friends." Kioku smiled. He turned back to Yoru. "By the way. Where's Taiyo?"

"I thought she was with you." Yoru ruffled his hair. Kioku lowered his head sadly. "No."

"Well, don't sweat it. She probably made it out of town, too." Yoru smiled, looking around the town. "We're finally free. Taiyo might be looking for us now." A Shadow had then emerged from the ground right behind Yoru and threatened to attack.

"We'll all be together again soon." Yoru said, smiling brightly. "You just leave everything to me, I've-"

The sound of the Keyblade slicing through the Heartless interrupted Yoru's talking. Kioku twirled his Keyblade and pointed it at Yoru. "Leave it to _who_? the teen said with a smirk.

Yoru tilted his head in confusion. "Kioku?"

"I've been looking for both you and Taiyo. With their help." Kioku pointed to Spongebob and Patrick who nodded at the boy's statement. Yoru folded his arms. "And who are they?"

"Ahem. My name is-" Spongebob started. Kioku interrupted"We've been visiting so many places and worlds, looking for you."

Yoru seemed slightly jealous. "Oh. Who would've guessed.." He rolled his eyes.

Patrick put his arm around Kioku, "And you know what else? Kioku is the Keyblade master." The starfish smiled.

"Who would've thought it?" Spongebob huffed, as he was mad that Kioku interrupted him as he was going introduce himself to Yoru. Kioku growled at the sponge. "What's that suppose to mean?" Suddenly, the Keyblade was in Yoru's hand. "So, this is called a Keyblade?"

Kioku clenched his hand, and looked at Yoru. "Hey, give it back, man!" The boy shouted as he tried to reach for his weapon. Yoru jumped back and examined the mysterious weapon, taking in it's odd appearance. "Here, catch." Yoru tossed the Keyblade back to Kiokum who looked at Yoru expectingly.

"So, you're coming with us, right? We've got this sick-looking ship!" Kioku exclaimed.

"No! He can't come!" Spongebob quickly declined. "Huh?!" Kioku exclaimed again.

"No can do!" Spongebob declined once more. "But he's my friend!" Kioku argued.

The sponge yelled, "I don't care, Kioku! He's not coming!"

Patrick looked up. "Well, how can he come with us if he's not even here?" he asked. "Huh?" Kioku looked around for Yoru, who had just vanished. "Yoru?!"

The keybearer sighed with annoyance and glared at the sponge. "Nice going, Spongebob!"

Even though he was mad at his spongy friend. He was happy that Yoru was okay. "At least Yoru's all right. And who knows, maybe we might find Taiyo next!"

* * *

 _ **-Meanwhile-**_

Two shady looking characters stand on the rooftop near the Plaza, looking over the city. "Hmph. The little nuisance has already found three keyholes." Ganondorf said. "So it seems. But his little adventure ends here." Bowser growled. "He won't be finding the other keyholes."

"Is it time yet?" Ganondorf asked. Bowser nodded, chuckling. "Yeah..let's give this world the darkness it's been waiting for." He growled and roared out loud and a large Heartless appeared in the Plaza. It looked just like Nightcrawler, but was a dark violet. "I call it, the Nightfaller." the large koopa said confidently.

"Isn't this the same Heartless that Vicky created, only darker and with a similar name?" Ganondorf raised an eyebrow. "S-Shuddup! It doesn't matter anyways, it's still gonna take out that runt with the Keyblade and the king's righthand men." Bowser yelled in defense. "Besides, my Heartless are better!"

"Never mind that. Let's see the town scatter in fear." Ganondorf snickered as he snapped his fingers, making an army Shadows emerge in numbers and flood into town. Bowser laughed, "Let's see the Keybearer handle this one!"

* * *

 ** _-Daybreak Town: Small House-_**

Link heard screaming from the outside, and he quickly sprung up from his seat. "You guys hear that?"

"Yeah." Lana stood up from her seat. "It's coming from the town!"

Zelda gasped, as she was worried for the townspeople. "Oh no! It must be the Heartless!"

Link unsheathed his sword. "Let's go!"

* * *

 **-Kioku-**

After hearing the loud roar, Kioku looked at his two friends with wide eyes. "That might have come from the plaza!"

They quickly made it further into town, only to see armies of Heartless running rampant. From afar, They saw Link, Lana, and Zelda desperately fending off the Heartless. Kioku shouted to Link, "Hey! Are you guys okay?!"

Link quickly spun around in circles with his blade, taking out a good portion of Heartless. He turned and yelled back at Kioku, "Kioku! Spongebob! Patrick! Go find the source and take it out!" Link shouted before he lashed out at the Heartless again. "Right!" Kioku nodded. The three then took out to the VacantPlaza, slashing through the Heartless on the way there.

* * *

 ** _-Daybreak Town: Vacant Plaza-_**

When they got to the Plaza they found the Nightfaller, the Heartless that was causing the change from day to night. Kioku got into a stance with his Keyblade, "Let's get this over with!"

Bowser laughed loudly from the rooftop. "Well, well. If it isn't key-boy and his trusty friends."

"Who are you?" Spongebob asked, looking up at the Koopa. "Who am I? Who am I?! I am the great and terrible King Bowser!" Bowser shouted out his introduction. "Along with my lovely sidekick, Ganondorf!"

"Sidekick?"Ganondorf growled in anger."I'm a Dark Lord, you bumbling idiot!" The man had then knocked Bowser down with the back of his fist.

"Cut the crap!" Kioku yelled in anger. "Are you the ones that summoned this Heartless?" He asked. "Correct. We forbid you from finding the rest of the keyholes." Ganondorf said. "It is time that your little quest comes to a brutal close."

"Oh yeah?" Spongebob smirked, "Well let's see what you got!"

Kioku directed his deadly glare at Ganondorf and Bowser, making the large koopa cower slightly in fear. "Ga-Ga-Ganondorf..I think he's lookin' at us!"

Ganondorf chuckled darkly. "That doesn't scare me. Heartless...attack!" Nightfaller roared and charge at the three heroes.

* * *

 **(Battle Music: Shrouding Dark Cloud)**

Kioku dashed at Nightfaller and began to lash out at it with devastating strikes. Spongebob and and Patrick followed up with with a small team attack involving them hooking arms and spinning into Nightfaller with their weapons. Nightfaller roared and spun around, smacking the four of them with it's sharp and scaley tail. Everyone flew back and hit the ground, Kioku stood up and pointed his Keyblade at Nightfaller. "FIRE!" A large ball of flames shot out of the end of Kioku's Keyblade and ignited the Heartless. Nightfaller clawed at itself desperately to put out the fire. Spongebob piled on with more fire spells, and Patrick launched himself towards Nightfaller and delivered a crushing attack with his two shields.

The fire that was eating Nightfaller alive was soon going out. The large Heartless was angered and began to slash at everyone with it's razor sharp claws. The three dodged out of the way of it's claws. Kioku flipped backwards and tossed his Keyblade at Nightfaller's claws, making the monster snap it's hand back. Nightfaller roared in pain and fell back as it became stunned. Kioku charged at the downed Heartless and began to hack away. "Hyah!" Kioku flipped up and brought his Keyblade down upon Nightfaller's head, defeating it.

The Heartless slowly disappeared in black mist and it's captive heart as released up into the air. The dreadful night reverted back to the calm morning light, and Kioku looked around for Ganondorf and Bowser. "Where did those two go?"

"Look's like they ran away." Spongebob answered as he dismissed his staff in a flash of light. "What wusses."

"Let's go meet up with Link and the others." Patrick suggested.

"Hold on, there's something I gotta do." Kioku said as he looked towards the sky. The Keyhole appeared in the sky in a flash of light. The teen pointed his Keyblade at the Keyhole. He shot a beam of light that sealed the Keyhole, a locking sound filled the area and echoed away. He dismissed the Keyblade.

* * *

 _ **-Daybreak Town: Small House-**_

After sealing the keyhole, Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick met up with Link, Lana, Zelda and Jimmy at the Small House. "You guys already know of Vlad Plasmius?" Jimmy asked. Kioku nodded, "Yeah, we actually ran into him and another bad guy while we were visiting a few worlds."

Jimmy nodded, "Well, I hear that he's in town."

Zelda turned to Kioku, "If you don't already know, we lost our worlds thanks to him." She said. "After his experiments with the Heartless, he's also been using them as his minions."

"A huge swarm of Heartless took over our world, just like that!" Lana chimed in.

"Nine years ago.." Link said, leaning again the wall. "That was when it happened."

Patrick lowered his head, "That's horrible."

"Vlad dedicated his life to studying both ghosts and Heartless." Link said. "His reports tell us how to get rid of Heartless, and ghosts too." Jimmy added.

"Um, sorry to interrupt," Kioku cut in, "But who were those guys back there?" Kioku asked.

"Ganondorf and Bowser. They work with Vlad Plasmius." Link explained. "And it looks like their job was to have that Heartless eliminate you and then have this world plunged in eternal darkness." Link explained. "Good thing you found and sealed the keyhole of this world."

"Yeah." Kioku nodded. Jimmy then realized something. "Oh yeah! I managed to finish installing your Navi-Gummi, so you're good to go!"

"Great!" Spongebob exclaimed happily. "So, we'll be leaving as soon as we're ready." Kioku leaned against the wall and looked up and the ceiling, thought of Yoru and Taiyo still in his mind. "I know that Yoru's okay. But I've got to find out if Taiyo is okay, too." Patrick and Spongebob looked at Kioku with sympathy. Patrick placed his hand on Kioku's shoulder. "Kioku. I'm sure we'll find Taiyo, buddy." Patrick said, comforting him.

"Yeah, Patrick's right." Spongebob chimed in. "I'm sure Taiyo is out there looking for you and Yoru." Kioku chuckled and put his arms around the both of them. "Thanks guys,"

* * *

 ** _-Outside of the Small House-_**

Vlad, Yoru and Vicky stood outside of the house, looking in at Kioku and his friends. "You see. It's just like I told you." Vlad said hauntingly. "While you worked restlessly to find your dear friend, he simply just replaced you with new ones." Vicky smirked. "Yeah, he ditched you kiddo. And to make it worse, he likes those doofuses more than you!" She grabbed Yoru and ruffled his hair, "You're better off with us, rather than that annoying twerp." Yoru shoved Vicky off of him and continued to look into the house. He witnessed Kioku bonding with Spongebob and Patrick, two people that Kioku had only been traveling with for a little while. Yoru felt jealously and was angry that Kioku would do that do him. Angry that he would do that to Taiyo, the one who Kioku claimed to care so much about.

"Yes. Vicky is right." Vlad smiled malevolently. "Come with us, and we'll find you're searching for." Yoru's emotionless stare, turned into a antagonistic glare.

* * *

 ** _-Gummi Ship-_**

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick entered the Gummi Ship and strapped themselves in."Alright, now that we've got our new Navi-Gummi installed. We can resume our mission!" Patrick announced.

"Well, let's get going!" Kioku cheered.

* * *

 _ **Winslow's Journal**_

 _ ***Mr. Wizard :**_ _A great sorcerer and scientist living on the outskirts of Daybreak Town. 's wisdom and magic powers rank second to none, and he teaches Kioku and his friends about magic. He has a mysterious bag that can hold anything, no matter how large. **He taught many young apprentices about Science in "Watch Mr. Wizard" (1951).**  
_

 _ ***Yoru:**_ _A self-confident youth always competing with Kioku. When Tranquil County vanished, so did he. By the time Yoru reappeared, Kioku had already found new friends, so Yoru didn't rejoin him. Yoru is willing to go to any length to save Taiyo. Even going as far to join forces with Vlad Plasmius._

 ** _*Ganondorf:_** _He was the leader of a band of thieves before his world was taken by the Heartless. He was known as a demon thief, an evil-magic wielder renowned for his ruthlessness. Nowadays, he's teamed up with Vlad Plasmius in an attempt to rule over all worlds. **This guy was a serious bad guy in "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" (1998).**_

 ** _*Bowser:_** _Sometimes he likes to be referred to as "King Koopa". He is the king of all Koopas in his world, and has tried to conquer his one world multiple times. Nowadays, he's teamed up with Vlad Plasmius in an attempt to rule over all worlds. **This guy took Kidnapping and put it back into style in "Super Mario Bros." (1985).**  
_


	12. Chapter 11: Paradise Lost

_**Chapter 11: Paradise Lost**_

 _ **(Based off of Secret World of Alex Mack: Paradise Lost Episode)**_

 **-Paradise Valley: Paradise Valley Chemical Plant-**

Somewhere inside of a chemical plant, a man and a woman sat in an office and watched an advert of some sort. "Pain. Misery. Persperation..." A television spoke. The commercial showed muscles and something called Formula 161. "The pleasures of life. Lose weight. Build muscle. No exercise. No diet. No pain. A new life, a new you. The future is here. Formula 161." After that, the commercial shut off and the man used the TV remote to cut the TV off.

The woman chuckled. "I love it." The man turned to her. "GC-161 is fully ready to ship, it'll take hours to hit the shelves."

"Excellent." The woman smiled. "Ms. Atron..once people start taking the chemical. It won't be long before they're zapping electricity, floating objects and liquifying uncontrollably." The man said. "Then there's this," In a small glass box was a puddle of metallic liquid, moving around on it's own. "It liquefied like all the others, only for some reason it can't reform again." He explained. "That might be what happened to that kid we've been looking for..", The man continued, "If this happens to the public, there could be mass panic and major lawsuits. This whole country would be in an uproar." The man said.

Atron chuckled, "And when that happens, I'll be long gone with over a billion dollars to my name. And I'd advise you to get a move on too, Lars." She said with a confident smile, which made her assistant, Lars, shuffled around nervously. _"Really? You're gonna run like a coward?"_ Vicky's voice echoed within the room. Atron and Lars spun around, only to see Vicky coming in through a corridor of darkness. "Who are you..and how did you get in?" Atron barked.

"Eh..I have my ways." Vicky shrugged, walking towards the two adults. "So, it seems that a lot of people are gonna come down with mysterious powers If they take that GC-161 crap..then it'll be chaos erupting throughout the nation? Why even stop there?" Vicky cackled.

"Where are you going with this, exactly?" Lars asked sternly, folding his arms. Vicky scoffed. "I'm saying, why not take it to the next level?" Vicky started. "You're gonna be filthy rich by the time that stuff hits the shelves right, Why not use that to conquer this world? You'll have both money and power, no one would even dare to go toe to toe with you, so in the end they'll have no choice but to respect you."

Vicky grinned, "I can give you the power to do that, y'know."

"I like the sound of that." Atron nodded. "What kind of power are we talking about exactly?" The older woman asked. "The power of darkness." Vicky said. "And trust me, you two have got just enough darkness packed up in those hearts to control the most powerful Heartless."

"Are you kidding?" Lars scoffed. "You're only a kid, what kind of kid knows about conquering an entire nation by solely using the power of darkness?"

"A kid who actually has a brain." Atron responded in Vicky's defense. "She seems to be smarter that most of the brats in this town, anyways." Atron said. "I like her."

Vickey grinned mischievously and batted her eyelashes. Lars rubbed his chin. "Will this power help us solve a certain problem?"

"That..and more." A dark aura washed over Vicky, she walked over to Lars and Atron. "Here.."

* * *

 _ **-Paradise Valley: Park-**_

 **(Field Theme: Concealed Secrets)**

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick walked into a park, looking around anything out of the ordinary. At first, they thought they had entered a wormhole and ended up back in Town of Mysteries, but this was just another world that looked vastly different. So far, there were no Heartless or any troublemakers. Everything seemed normal.

"So far so good..not a Heartless in sight." Kioku smiled to himself.. "Yeah _SO FAR_..doesn't matter if the Heartless haven't appeared, It's a matter of when they're going to appear." Spongebob said, dismissing Kioku's claim. From a distance. They could see three teenagers, two males and one female.

"Hey, we should ask them if they'd seen anything weird." Patrick asked. "Like if they've seen any Heartless,"

"If you're mentioning the word 'weird', they'd point right at us.." Kioku laughed. "Well we do stick out like sore thumbs. It's nearly obvious that we're outsiders." Spongebob agreed. Soon, they saw Heartless emerge near the teenagers, threatening to steal their hearts.

"Guys!" Kioku shouted, summoning his Keyblade. "That's our cue!" Spongebob and Patrick summoned their weapons and followed Kioku into battle. Once they reached the three teenagers, they got in front of them in defense. "Stay back, we'll handle this!" Kioku said, getting into a stance with his Keyblade.

* * *

 **(Battle Theme: The Secret's Revealed)**

Kioku slashed away at the Heartless with swift strikes, swatting them out of the way. Spongebob fired a Thunder spell at a small drove of Shadows and vanquished them immediately, while Patrick tossed his two shields at another group of Heartless. More Heartless appeared, and it seemed like they were mostly Thunder-based, and the other ones were Neo Shadows. The three made quick work of them and vanquished them. Kioku panted and turned to the kids. "You guys okay?"

"Yeah!" The one of the boys said. "You guys have powers, too?"

"Uhh..sorta..." Spongebob shrugged. "Why, do you have powers?" he asked.

The boy laughed. "Not me! My friend Alex does, and I just found out." The girl Alex and the other boy glared at the boy. "Louis! You said you wouldn't tell everyone!" Alex shouted. Ray chuckled. "Don't worry Alex, these three look like they can keep a secret.."

Kioku looked at Alex, examining the girl throughly. "Doesn't really look like she has powers.." he said, folding his arms. Alex raised her hand, and she lifted her own hat off of her head using telekinesis. "Wha?!" Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick exclaimed in unison.

"Convinced?" Alex smiled, letting her hat fall back on her head. She giggled. "I'm Alex Mack."

"I'm Raymond Alvarado. Call me Ray." Ray said, introducing himself. "Louis Driscoll, nice to meet you guys." Louis introduced himself.

Kioku nodded. "I'm Kioku. And these two beside me are Spongebob and Patrick."

"Alex, mind if I ask, How did you get powers?" Spongebob asked.

"Long story. But I think I'll be able to explain it." Alex began. "It all started when I was walking home from my first day of junior high, I wasn't paying attention and a truck came speeding towards me. It swerved and I got covered in this golden liquid stuff called GC-161. Next thing I know, I'm zapping electricity out of my hands and lifting up stuff with my mind, and turning into liquid and stuff. And now the owner of the chemical plant and her workers are looking for me."

"And it's very important that no one knows about it." Ray added. "So, why didn't you fight the Heartless with us?" Patrick asked. "You could've easily taken them down."

Alex lowered her head. "I..was scared. But now, I see that they might cause trouble in the town, but.."

Kioku smirked. "You should team up with us and help take out the Heartless in this world." He suggested.

"What about the people in town, won't they find out?" Louis asked. "They won't if you don't tell everyone!" Ray said.

"No need to worry. Just don't use your powers while in public." Patrick said.

Alex paused and looked over to Ray, who nodded in approval. "Alex, you should help them. They look like they could need it." Ray said.

Alex sighed. "Okay, I'll do it."

"Great. Welcome to the team." Spongebob said.

* * *

 **(Alex has joined you!)**

 ** _-Party Member info: Alex Mack-_**

 _Attacks:_

 _ **Thunder Blast:** Alex shoots an orb of lightning at the enemy._

 _ **Solid Slam:** Alex turns her fist into solid metal and punches the enemy. If the hit lands, she will continue it on into a combo that holds enemies in place, so that Kioku can come in for Keyblade strikes._

 _ **Shockwave:** Alex slams her hand on the ground, causing a massive shockwave that stuns the enemies._

 _ **Telekinesis Toss:** Alex levitates the enemy and throws them._

 ** _Magnetism:_** _Alex used a Magnetic orb to pull in far away enemies._

 _ **Zapperoo:** Alex shoots 3 three electric lasers that home in on enemies._

 ** _Thunder Surge:_** _Alex rushed forward a short distance while cloaked in electricity, stunning enemies on contact._

* * *

 ** _-Paradise Valley: Chemical Plant-_**

Back at the chemical plant, which was now filled with workers and other people alike, A man walked abruptly into Danielle Atron's office. She was calmly sitting at her desk, on the laptop. She heard footsteps and looked up. "I didn't hear you knock.." Danielle said.

"That's because I didn't." The man raised his voice. "Ms. Atron, I dunno how you got it approved, but if GC-161 hits the shelves you'll be putting the entire nation at risk!" The man yelled in a concerned tone. Danielle looked up and smiled. "We've made great strides on this formula since you worked on it George, pretty much worked most out the kinks, I wouldn't be so presumptuous."

George raised his voice. "Ms. Atron, I'm no idiot!"

The woman sighed, "George, I don't want things to end this way. You've been a valuable member of our team for a long, long time. But recently, someone's provided me with ideas that crushes yours," Atron explained." And the development's sending the plan in a new and different direction." Danielle said. "In short, I'm letting you go. Effective immediately."

George paused for a moment and gave Danielle a stern look. "That would be acceptable, Ms. Atron. I'll go get my things."

Atron shook her head, "Your things have been packed and are waiting for you out front."' she said, gesturing to the front door. "Oh and George, I'm sure I don't have to remind you that you took an oath of secrecy regarding all of your work here. I trust that you'll live up to that or I promise..consequences will occur." Danielle stated. George nodded and then walked out of her office with his head low.

* * *

 _ **-Paradise Valley: Park-**_

After Kioku and the gang left, Louis talked to Ray on his cellphone. "Hey Ray, Louis here! I can't stop thinking about what happened today! Those three weird looking guys took out those monsters!" He spoke quickly. "It was insane! I just wished that she would have helped fight too! I mean how could you not have told me she had secret powers after all these years?" Louis went on. "I thought we were buds, man. She could change into liquid and zap stuff. Not to mention that one kid, he had a weapon that was shaped like a key, Ray, A KEY!"

Ray's eyes widen, "Louis, are you on a cell phone?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?" Louis asked. "Hang up, now!" Ray yelled.

"Aw c'mon Ray, you think the chemical plant monitors every single call in Paradise Valley?" Ray yelled once again. "HANG. UP. NOW!"

Louis hung up after Ray's yelling convinced him to. "What's his problem?" He continued on walking until a black truck slowly approached him. Two soldiers dressed in all black jumped out began to chase Louis. Louis ran with all his might, but ended up being tackled and dragged into the truck. "AH NO! WHO ARE YOU?!" Louis screamed. They threw him into the truck and shortly after, Lars and Vicky entered the back of the truck, where a blindfolded Louis waited. Lars took a seat next to Louis. Vicky stood up and glared at the boy.

"Hey what is this, Someone wanna tell me what the heck is going on here?" Louis yelled out in confusion. "We just need some answers." Lars said. "Then you'll be free to go."

"I-I dunno what the heck you want from me, I really don't." Louis said nervously. "Maybe this'll ring a bell." Vicky said. She played a recording on Louis's phone call.

 _"Hey Ray, Louis here! I can't stop thinking about what happened today! Those three guys took out those monsters! It was insane! I just wished that she would have helped fight too! I mean how could you not have told me she had secret powers after all these years?" Louis went on. "I thought we were buds, man. She could change into liquid and zap stuff. Not to mention that one kid, he had a weapon that was shaped like a key, Ray, A KEY-"_

"Now, who has secret powers?" Lars asked. Louis kept his mouth shut, making Vicky grow impatient.

"Look twerp, we aren't the most patient people in the world." Vicky said, right before striking Louis with a punch to the jaw. Louis grunted in pain.

"Now, you're gonna tell us who these four are," Lars said. Vicky scoffed, "Never mind the other three, Lars. I can tell you that." Vicky said. "Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick. It's probably likely that they've teamed up with the kid with powers."

"Is that so?" Lars chuckled. "Now back to you, kid. You know the kid that was hit with the chemical and you're gonna tell us who they are."

"I'm not gonna tell you anything." Louis said. Vicky smirked and grabbed Louis by the neck and had begin to choke him. "Louis, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way." Lars said. "I-I don't care what you do to me. I'm not gonna tell anything!" Louis gagged.

"Don't be an idiot twerp, tell us who it is!" Vicky yelled. "Or I'll snap your neck like a twig." She grunted as he had tightened her grip. The boy squirmed around and gasped for air as Vicky nearly dug her fingernails into his skin. Louis couldn't take the pain and screeched. "ARGH! THE KID IS ALEX MACK!"

* * *

 ** _-Paradise Valley: Alex's House-_**

After patrolling the town for a while, Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick and Alex all retired back to Alex's house and sat in the kitchen. Shortly after they got there, Alex's mom came in with groceries. She noticed a concerned look on her daughter's face, "Alex, what's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing." Alex replied quietly. She looked up at her mom. "What's wrong with you?"

Mrs. Mack announced. "Danielle just fired your father."

"What?" Alex exclaimed loudly, standing up from her seat. "Where is he?"

"I suppose he's on his way home right now." Mrs. Mack said. She then turned her attention to Kioku and the others. "Oh sorry, you must be Alex's friends from school. A little early for Halloween, no?" The woman chuckled nervously. The trio looked at each other. "Uh yeah.. We're Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick.." Kioku introduced. "And what happened?"

Mrs. Mack sighed. "The FDA approved GC-161 to the public today and all the researchers that worked on it were let go."

"That sounds bad.." Spongebob said, looking around at everyone. "GC-161 was approved by the government?" Alex asked. "Yeah, it'll probably be on the shelves tomorrow." Mrs. Mack sighed. Alex looked at the Kioku and the others and quickly stormed up to her room.

"Should we go talk to her?" Patrick asked. "It would be the best thing to do." Mrs. Mack nodded. Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick then went up after her. It wasn't long before George got home, and then Alex's parents both left somewhere.

* * *

 ** _-Alex's room-_**

The three were talking for a while, with a very antsy and worried Alex pacing back and forth in her room. "Alex, you've got to calm down." Kioku said as he tried to calm her down..

"I can't everything's out of control now!" Alex yelled. "The plant's gonna sell GC-161 to the public, my dad got fired and Louis Driscoll knows about me! On top of that, there's monsters all over the town!"

"Well, when your parents get back you should tell them about what happened." Spongebob suggested. "I can't do that, Spongebob.." Alex said, shaking her head. "Why not?" Patrick asked.

Alex bit her lip, "My sister Annie and I have this agreement.."

"Well Annie's not here, is she?" Kioku asked. "No, I called her and her roommate told me that she was away for the weekend. But I'm sure she'll get my message a-and she'll come home!" Alex said nervously. "Alex, you probably can't wait that long." Kioku said, folding his arms.

Alex lowered her head and plopped down on her bed anxiously.

* * *

 _ **-Meanwhile-**  
_

Danielle, Lars and Vicky had a meeting within the office at the Chemical Plant. "It's so obvious that it's almost sickening that we didn't notice before." Danielle said. "Alex Mack.."

"Her father had great access to the GC-161 information, do you think he knows about her?" Lars asked.

"I doubt it.." Danielle answered. "What kind of parent doesn't report on what happened to his daughter? Especially if he knows about the dangers of the chemical. " Danielle went on. "And about these three brats, Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick are they affiliated with her?"

"Gotta be.." Vicky said. "The Heartless had to have appeared at some point, and they had to have met Alex while they were fighting the Heartless according to Louis's phone call. They might be with Alex as we speak."

Lars chimed in, "I've tried to alert George, Ms. Atron."

Atron quickly cut him off, "I know you Lars, you tell me. But why don't we just focus on the present and think about what we can do to make the problem go away." Danielle said. "We're way too close, so we have to worry about _everybody_."

"We need to find Alex and her friends and eliminate them." Lars said. "And when they're gone, Alex's family won't be able to prove a thing."

"Absolutely!" Atron nodded in agreement. "But first, I want Alex brought here for testing. That Driscoll kid said she had some kind of powers, right? As for the keybearer and his partners, have them brought here too." Danielle said. "And Vicky, make sure to wear them down with some Heartless first to weaken them up."

"My pleasure, Ms. Atron." Vicky cackled, bearing an evil smile. "I'll have them here ASAP." Lars nodded.

"Good. Tell the security people to be ready for anything." Atron ordered. "And if that Kioku kid uses that Keyblade as an act of self defense, have him and his friends eliminated immediately. But leave Mack alive." she ordered. Vicky smiled malevolently as she walked out of the office.

"Everything for me is smooth sailing.." Vicky muttered to herself.

* * *

 ** _-Alex's House: Living Room-_**

"I dunno what this Danielle Atron lady is capable of, but she sounds dangerous." Kioku said sternly. "If you wait any longer, who knows what could happen?"

"You don't understand, Kioku. My sister knows everything about me, and if I'm going to tell my parents, she'll need to be there when I do!" Alex explained.

"Alex, your dad got fired today, right? So isn't he possibly a threat to Danielle?" Kioku asked. "You may be loyal to your sister, but I'm afraid that she won't be here to hold your hand like you said that used to. Your parents can help you." The boy said, giving Alex a serious look.

Alex sighed. Outside, the sound of tires screeching to a stop was heard. The four of them all went to the windows to see who it was. Countless black cars with soldiers dressed in black with assault rifles jumped out and headed towards the door.

"Who are they?" Patrick asked.

"It's the security guys from the plant!" Alex said.

"We gotta get outta here!" Kioku yelled. They hurried towards the back door, but the security soldiers busted in. Kioku quickly summoned his Keyblade and knocked the group back with a strike, sending them all flying. Alex was in awe as she witnessed the Keyblade's magic. They ran out of the front door, where a massive group of security soldiers waited, rifles in hand.

"Hope you're ready for a fight." Kioku said, getting into a stance. Spongebob and Patrick summoned their weapons. Alex put up her fists. "Like i've got a choice.."

* * *

 **(INFORMATION: Escape the Chemical Plant Security!)**

 **(Battle Music: Rowdy Rumble)**

Kioku lashed out at the security guards, swiftly striking them with his Keyblade. Alex turned her fist into solid liquid and knocked one of the guards away and knocked them into the other guards. One of the guards threw a stun grenade at them. Patrick spun around and reflected the grenade off of his shields, making it explode and stun the guards for a while. "Run!" Kioku yelled. They all quickly ran down the street, but the security ended up chasing them in their cars. Alex grabbed Kioku's hand, "Grab on!" Spongebob and Patrick quickly grabbed onto Alex's shoulders. "Get ready guys." Alex muttered. They then all turned into a puddle of metallic liquid and traveled quickly away from the neighborhood. Once they got far enough, they all became reformed into their regular selves.

"Guys, I'm tired..I need a break.." Alex panted, as she was physically drained from using her powers. "So, how about going to the police?" Kioku suggested. "Never thought we'd have to result to doing that.." he groaned.

"I guess you're right." Alex nodded. As they were about to leave, a drove of Heartless appeared around them and surrounded them. Kioku sighed and summoned his Keyblade, "Ugh! Not you guys!" Just as he was about to fight, a security guard managed to catch Kioku off guard and tackled him down. "What the heck!?" Two other guards clubbed Spongebob and Patrick with the butts of their Assault Rifles, knocking them out instantly.

"Kioku! Spongebob! Patrick!" Alex screamed. As more and more security guards and Heartless surrounded them, Alex turned back into a puddle of liquid and attempted to run. But she was quickly captured in a small vacuum. Kioku squirmed around, trying to break free of the guard's grip. "LET..ME..GO!" The boy then felt the intense force of the butt of a rifle strike him in back of his head, instantly knocking him out. All four of them were apprehended and were now being taken to the Chemical Plant.

* * *

 ** _-Paradise Valley Chemical Plant: Experiment Room-_**

The four of them were being taken into the Chemical Plant, Kioku regained his consciousness. He noticed that he was being dragged somewhere, as he was surrounded by a gang of security guard. His vision was blurry at first, but when it got clearer, he looked around and saw a dark blue facility as it was foreign to him. Kioku looked over and saw Spongebob and Patrick, who were also being carried by two other guards. They were all brought into a big room with a large quarantine tube in the center. The guards threw Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick down on the cold, metal floor and put the liquefied Alex in the quarantine tube. After that, they left and coming in after them was Danielle Atron. Kioku glared and attempted to summon his Keyblade, but realized that he was handcuffed, Spongebob and Patrick were handcuffed too. Danielle chuckled as she walked over and watched the liquefied Alex trying to escape the tube. Kioku woke Spongebob and Patrick up eagerly. "Guys! Wake up, we've been kidnapped!"

Alex reformed into her human self and looked Danielle square in the face, only to see Danielle's malevolent, selfish glare. "Yes...I've been waiting for this moment for a long time." Danielle smirked. Alex looked around her, noticing the glass casing around her. She saw Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick handcuffed and on the floor.

"Guys!" Alex yelled. "What's going on!?"

* * *

 _ **-Winslow's Journal-  
**_

 _ ***Alex Mack:** An average teenager in Paradise Valley. While walking home from school, she is nearly hit by a truck carrying GC-161 and is doused with it, thus giving her extraordinary powers. Because of this, she must keep her powers a secret in order to avoid being captured by Danielle Atron. **She kept everything a secret in "The Secret World of Alex Mack" (1994).**_

 _ ***Ray Alvarado:** Alex's closest friend and next-door neighbor. He knows of Alex's powers and works hard to keep them under wraps. **He is Alex's best friend in "The Secret World of Alex Mack" (1994).**  
_

 ** _*Louis Driscoll:_** _Alex and Ray's abrasive friend. After he learns of Alex's powers and witnesses Kioku fight the Heartless, he is captured and forced to spill the beans. **Would you trust this nimrod in "The Secret World of Alex Mack" (1994)?**  
_

 _ ***Danielle Atron:**_ _The owner/CEO of the Paradise Valley Chemical Plant. She wants to market GC-161 as a radical new weight-loss drug, and has made it her mission to find the GC-161 child and capture her, as both a test subject and a threat to the secrecy of her plans. She sides with Vicky and gains the power to control Heartless. **She's a threatening villainess in "The Secret World of Alex Mack" (1994).**_

 _ ***Lars Frederickson:**_ _A skilled chemist hailing from the Paradise Valley Chemical Plant's foreign branch. He becomes Danielle Atron's chief subordinate after her former one gets fired. He reluctantly sides with Vicky and gains the power to control Heartless. **He's a total creeper in "The Secret World of Alex Mack" (1994).**_

 _ ***George Mack:**_ _Alex's father. He is a brilliant chemist who used to work for Danielle Atron at the Paradise Valley Chemical Plant. But he and all the other researchers are fired unfortunately. **He made a lot of chemistry in "The Secret World of Alex Mack" (1994).**_

 _ ***Barbara Mack:** Alex's mother. She is a more down-to-earth woman who works in a public relations firm. **She was very motherly in "The Secret World of Alex Mack" (1994).**  
_


	13. Chapter 12: Paradise Regained

_**Chapter 12: Paradise Regained**_

The tension inside of the room had thickened. The CEO of the plant, Danielle Atron, had finally captured who she was looking for, along with three extra cases. The older woman gave the helpless Alex a smug look. "Well, you've had quite a childhood thanks to me, now haven't you? Let's see what you can do." Danielle said, smirking. Kioku nodded. "Go on, Alex! Show her who's boss." He shouted. Alex tried to escape by zapping the glass with electricity, but fails and ends up falling to her knees.

"You are magnificent, you really are. But I've gotta tell you, your timing is so bad." Atron laughed. "One more day and I wouldn't have given you another thought." Atron then turned to Kioku, "And you, Kioku. Vicky's been telling me about your experience with the Keyblade and it's uncanny power. Although, my experiments with you will determine how exactly you came to wield it."

"You wish!" Kioku shouted angrily. "I want you to know I hate you." Alex said.

Danielle pouted sarcastically, "Aww, no you don't. You just think you do."

"Why are you such a selfish, greedy and horrible person? Don't you care about anybody but yourself?" Alex yelled.

"Don't you read the newspapers, young lady?" Atron asked. "America is thrilled to have GC-161 entering their lives, and is America selfish? No! And besides, even if I did tell them that the product had a couple of side effects, they wouldn't care." Danielle shrugged, circling Alex's tube. Kioku shuffled around on the floor, "I hope you know, there's a lot of people who know about her! Her friends, her sister! And if anything happens to her, they're gonna know it's you!" He shouted.

Danielle smiled, "Oh, but didn't she tell you? She didn't tell anybody else about the accident, now did she?" Danielle went on. "Because if she had, I'm sure I would have been stopped a long time ago, but she didn't. I guess Mack and her sister had their own selfish reasons for keeping it to themselves." Danielle then left the room and leaving the four in the room alone.

Alex pounded her fist on the glass in anger. "I..wish I had.." Alex sniffled, wiping her tears with her sleeves. "This is all my fault, If had just told my parents.."

"Alex, you were just afraid. Don't beat yourself up over it.." Patrick said. "Yeah, besides.." Spongebob said. "No matter what happens, we're gonna get through this together."

Alex smiled, a tear falling from her eye. "You guys sure have a lot of optimism in dangerous situations."

Kioku chuckled. "You can say that agai-" Soon they all heard a noise, a woman screaming for help while a man was screaming too. Coming into the room was two security guards who brought in George and Barbara Mack. The two guards left immediately after they threw them in. The sound of the door locking shut startled the two. "Alex!" Barbara shouted.

"Mom! Dad!" Alex gasped. "Are you kids alright?" Barbara asked. She ran and tried to remove to glass case that held Alex.

"Yeah..I guess so." Alex nodded. "Do you know what's going on here, Alex? What does Danielle want with you and your friends?" George asked in a concerning tone.

Alex sighed, "I guess I'd better tell you guys something." She said. Kioku looked over to Spongebob and Patrick in shock.

"You know that truck driver, Dave," Alex started, "And how he said that a couple years ago there was a GC-161 accident and some kid got doused with the chemical?" George nodded, "Yeah."

Alex bit her lip nervously, "Well, that's true but he didn't tell you that... that kid was me."

Barbara gasped. "What do you mean it was you?"

Alex continued. "It happened on my first day of 7th grade. Annie made sure I was okay, healthwise. I just have these side effects." Alex said. "What kind of side effects?" Barbara asked.

"She has powers, Mrs. Mack." Kioku said. "What?" Barbara gasped.

Alex nodded and began to demonstrate. She fired some electricity, then floated a pen in midair, and lastly she morphs herself and reforms. Her parents recoiled in shock. "Well, why didn't you tell us?" George asked.

"Because we thought if you found out, that you'd lose your job and you'd tell Danielle and they'd come after me and cut me up, I don't know. We just thought it was best." Alex said, nearly on the verge of tears.

"You thought it was best to not tell us?" Barbara yelled. "You thought it was better to take care of this all by yourself? What were you girls thinking about?"

"They probably knew you would react like this." Spongebob said. "That's why."

"You're right! We would've reacted just like this. Because this is scary." George shouted.

"I'm really fine! I just have these powers!" Alex said, trying to calm her parents down. "We must be the most oblivious parents on the face of the Earth." Barbara said remorsefully.

"No, it was nothing you did, I was just really careful with them, you know." Alex said.

George sighed, "Didn't we bring you up with the understanding that you could tell us anything, at any time?" Her father asked. "I just don't understand, Alex we could have helped you, we could have been there for you. And I could have stopped Danielle a long time ago."

Kioku lowered his head, "Yeah, we've known that already." He said, referring to Atron's words. "I'm sorry Dad, but it really wasn't that bad. You probably can't understand this, but it was actually kind of fun." Alex smiled weakly.

"Maybe it was Alex, but look at where we all are now." George said as he looked around the room. "That's it," Kioku managed to stand up on his feet, he struggled to break the chains of the cuffs. Alex and her parents looked over at Kioku and gave him a strange look.

"What are you doing, son?" George asked.

"Trying to get outta these cuffs!" Kioku grunted as he summoned his Keyblade and broke free from the cuffs. Once he was free, he freed Spongebob and Patrick too.

"Now, let's find a way out of here. There's no telling what Atron has up her sleeve." Kioku nodded.

* * *

 ** _-Outside of the Plant-_**

Meanwhile, Louis and Ray devised a plan to sneak into the Plant and save Kioku and the others. They swiftly bypassed the security and jumped the fence. Just as they were about to sneak in through the vents, a few Heartless emerged from the ground. "The monsters!" Louis squealed. Ray quickly pulled Louis into the vents and began to make their way into the Plant through the vents. They managed to come across Danielle's office, and saw Vicky, Danielle and Lars conversing. "Shh.." Ray whispered to Louis. The two had then begin to listen in.

"Things are moving extremely quickly, and we should have all the GC-161 out the door within the hour." Lars said.

"C'mere you two, I want you to see something you've never seen before." Danielle said. On her computer, billions of dollars were being transferred to her bank account.

"In about 10 minutes, I'll have a billion dollars transferred into this bank account. And I'm getting out of this country as fast as I can." Danielle said. "Set the explosives, I don't want a shred of evidence left behind." Ray looked at Louis in surprise.

"What about the Macks and the Keybearer and his friends?" Lars asked. Danielle laughed, "Lars. They _are_ evidence."

Vicky smiled, "I've never admired such a ruthless and cold person like you before, Ms. Atron." The girl said, looking at the older woman in admiration.

"C'mon, we gotta find them!" Louis whispered. Ray nodded and followed Louis. "Let's split up."

* * *

 ** _-Paradise Valley: Experiment Room-_**

Alex and and her parents were still talking talking things out back in the Experiment Room. "Please don't me mad at us. Annie checked me every step of the way, she said I would never be in any danger." Alex said.

"She couldnt've been sure of that Alex, with chemicals there's always a chance of long term danger. That's why I started working on an antidote." George said.

Kioku paused, "You've been working on a GC-161 antidote?"

"But Annie said she didn't have enough info on the chemical to make an antidote." Alex gasped.

"She didn't. But I did." George said.

* * *

 ** _-Meanwhile-_**

Lars went around the Plant, setting up bombs. He looked through the window of the Experiment Room's door, looking on as Kioku and the others were chatting. He smirked and set a bomb right under the window. He stood back and pressed a button on the control switch that activated the bombs to go off in ten minutes. He chuckled and pulled the evacuation switch.

* * *

 ** _-Paradise Valley: Experiment Room-_**

 _ **"EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY!"**_ a voice said, sirens beginning to blare throughout the plant.

"We gotta get outta here!" George shouted. Kioku summoned his Keyblade. "Well then, let's get going!"

"Alex! Stand back!" Kioku yelled. Alex stood back and let Kioku break the glass with his Keyblade, letting Alex jumped out. Spongebob and Patrick looked around for a way out. "THE DOORS ARE LOCKED!" Spongebob yelled.

"MR. MACK!" Ray called from the vent. He busted through the vent and crawled out, Louis coming out after him. "Ray!" George shouted in surprise.

"You guys okay?" Louis asked. Suddenly, the doors opened and the plant security stormed in. "We don't have time for you!" Kioku snarled. He quickly took out most of the security with ease. Ray attempted to punch one of them but ended up being captured and handcuffed. "Ray!" Patrick yelled.

"Go on! Get outta here!" Ray shouted as he was being forced to the ground. Kioku shouted. "But we can't leave you!"

"I'll be fine! Just go!" Ray said. Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick and Louis all joined Alex and her family and quickly turned into a puddle and made their way through the vent system. Lars came in and took Ray from the security. "I'll take it from here, boys."

Lars quickly took him into Danielle's office. "They're all gone, they escaped!"

"What?!" Danielle exclaimed. "He broke 'em out." Lars said.

"Well whatever, it's not my problem. Just leave him here and get out of here as fast as you can!" Danielle ordered. She took a silver suitcase and ran out as fast as she could. Lars handcuffed Ray to Danielle's desk.

"Tough luck.." Lars smiled. He then put a bomb on the desk. Ray's eyes widen. "HELP!"

Lars locked the door and walked out, leaving Ray to his demise. "HELP! KIOKU! ALEX! SOMEBODY!"

* * *

 ** _-Outside the Plant-_**

The liquefied group made their way out of the building and reformed. Even though they all made it out, Kioku and Alex were still worried about the apprehended Ray. "I can't leave Ray behind!" Alex said.

George shook his head, "Alex we have to, we can go get the police."

"Forget that! It'll be too late." Kioku shouted. "There's bombs in there! He'll be blown to bits!"

"Kioku's right," Alex agreed. "Ray would never leave without me. I'm going after him!" Alex said, turning into a puddle and going back into the Plant to save Ray. 22 seconds remained, so Alex moved quickly.

"ALEX! Kioku!" Ray called out. "HELP!"

11 seconds.

Alex seeped her way through the door and got Ray, she quickly made her way out of the building.

3...

...2

...1

All of the bombs went off and the whole building exploded into flames. Alex managed to make it out on time. Walking away from the building was Danielle. She was going to a helicopter that was going to get her out of there. Kioku saw her and eagerly began to climb the fence to get to her.

"Kioku, wait!" Spongebob said, climbing after him. "Don't do anything rash!"

* * *

"I'm coming too!" Patrick climbed too. Kioku readied his Keyblade and charged after Danielle as fast as he could. As Danielle was about to approach the chopper, Kioku tackled her to the ground and pinned her down. "Where do you think you're going?!"

"Stop! Stop it!" Danielle yelled, struggling to get Kioku off. "Help me!" The pilot got tired of waiting and left Danielle behind. "Noooo!" Danielle screamed as she watched the chopper fly away into the night sky. Kioku got up and stood back from her, Spongebob and Patrick joined Kioku and summoned their weapons. After Alex saved Ray, she climbed the fence and ran over to Kioku.

"You stopped her?" Alex asked.

"She ain't goin' anywhere.." Kioku said, getting into a stance. "It's time for her to pay for all that she's done!"

Danielle gritted her teeth. "You imbecilic, snot-nosed brats! You ruined my chances to leave! You ruined my plans! I was about to be the richest, most powerful person in the world. I would've conquered this world."

"You can just keep on dreaming, lady!" Kioku scoffed. "You're only a weakhearted, selfish person who doesn't care about anyone else." The boy said, chewing the woman out.

"It's over Atron, you've been beat!" Alex said. "Yeah, it's for you to head to the slammer, Ms. Atron!" Spongebob smirked.

A dark aura took over Danielle. "Me beat? Hahahaha..." Danielle laughed maniacally. "I can't be beat." Danielle opened her case and pulled out a makeshift Plasma Rifle. She pointed the rifle at Kioku and his friends, threatening to fire it. "I'll just kill you pathetic brats. All of you!"

* * *

 **(INFORMATION: Defeat Danielle Atron with the help of Alex!)**

 **(Battle Music: The Encounter)**

"Let's go!" Danielle stomped her foot on the ground, summoning a few Heartless to come to her aid. Kioku struck Danielle with the Keyblade and made her stumble backwards, he then leaped forward and smacked her again with his Keyblade.

Danielle shook off the attacks and aimed her gun at Kioku and got ready to take fire, but Spongebob electrocuted her with Thunder, resulting in her being stunned for a while again, giving Kioku time to attack her some more. Alex got near Danielle and punched her with her solid liquid fists. Danielle kicked them both away and fire at them with her Plasma Rifle. "Get away from me, you brats!"

Danielle reached into her pocket and tossed a couple of plasma grenades at the others. One of them exploded and knocked Kioku back to the ground, nearly knocking the boy out. The woman charged towards Alex and smacked her with the back of her hand. "Little brat!" Danielle had then hit Alex with the butt of her rifle and dazed her. Kioku quickly recovered and ran over to Danielle. "No way!"

"Alex!" Kioku screamed swinging Alex around. "Just in time!" Alex smiled and kicked Danielle the high up into the air. "Sick 'em Kioku!" She then used telekinesis to launch Kioku up into the air. "Back off!" the boy spun around and slammed his Keyblade into Danielle's head, sending her to the ground. He landed on his feet and charged at Atron again.

Kioku hit Danielle with a strong strike and got ready to swing again, but Danielle countered. "Taste some of this!" Danielle punched Kioku in the face and whipped him with her rifle, making him stumble backwards. Kioku quickly recovered and knocked her away with the Keyblade. She stood up and aimed her Rifle at Alex, a cloud of darkness whirling around her.

"I've had enough!" Danielle screamed. She rapidly fired her rifle at everyone, making Kioku and the others scatter out of the way. Soon after, Danielle started to throw a volley of plasma grenades. One of the exploded and knocked Patrick back. He landed on the ground hard enough for him to nearly black out. "Patrick!" Spongebob shouted as he ran over to him. Alex quickly ran to the starfish's aid as well. "Oh no, he's out cold." Alex said as Patrick snored loudly.

Kioku dashed up to Patrick and got ready to heal him with some Cure magic. "Oh, _children.."_ Danielle cackled. When the three turned their attention to her, she was holding an incendiary grenade.

"Why don't you join him?!" She chucked the grenade. Kioku, Alex, and Spongebob acted quickly and got Patrick out of the way while evading the grenade themselves. As the grenade exploded into a flames, Danielle watched the flurry of dancing flames as she had thought they were defeated.

"That'll teach those brats to-"

 _ **KRAK!**_

Kioku had smacked Danielle upside the head with the Keyblade, making her lose her balance. Danielle slowly turned around and aimed her rifle at Kioku, who was defenseless as he was too close to her. "Now, that wasn't nice." Danielle growled as fresh blood oozed from the side of her head. She cocked her rifle and put it to Kioku's chest.

The boy closed his eyes, and the sound of a electric bolt rang his ears as Alex quickly disarmed Danielle of her rifle. As the elder woman was distracted, Kioku hit her with another strike to knock her away from him. Alex followed up with a punch and small volleys of electric bolts. Kioku grabbed Alex's hand and swung her around, making her deliver a swift, hard kick to Danielle's face, who stumbled over as a result. Danielle's dark energy built and grew stronger She growled and ran towards them.

"Kioku! Now!" Alex yelled. Kioku and Alex channeled an orb of thunder and shot Danielle with it, delivering the final blow. "Nrahhhhh!" Danielle screamed in defeat.

* * *

Kioku panted heavily, along with Alex and the others who were also tired out. Atron fell to the ground, and she slowly started to fade out into darkness. "No..how could I have been defeated..by some stupid brats!" She sobbed. Soon, she completely disappeared into darkness. Alex turned to Kioku and his friends. "Thanks. You really saved the day today." Alex smiled.

"We couldn't have done it without you." Kioku nodded. The girl walked forward and hugged Kioku.

"Kioku, this is for helping us." Alex handed Kioku a Keychain."Thanks," Kioku smiled. Alex paused and looked down, her cheeks glowing red. "Um.."

"What is it?" Kioku asked.

"Kioku, do you.." Alex started, her face glowing gold. "Do you think we'll ever see each other again?"

Kioku's face flushed red. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Um..well. I can't say. I still have to look for my friend, Taiyo. And Spongebob and Patrick have to look for-" the boy went on. Alex giggled and kissed Kioku on his cheek, making him flinch. Kioku looked at Alex in shock.

"Huh?" Kioku felt his cheek. "Well, I hope we do meet again." Alex blushed. Without saying another word, she then ran over to the fence and climbed it to reunite with her friends and family. Spongebob and Patrick ran over to a surprised Kioku.

"That Alex sure is something." Spongebob said. "Uh huh," Patrick nodded in agreement. He looked at a Kioku. "Hey Kioku, why is your face all red?"

"Huh?" Kioku covered his face. "Is not!" Spongebob teased. "Aww, did you and Alex agree to go on a date?"

Kioku shook his head and blushed even more. "No! No! Me and Alex are just friends, okay?! We still have to find Taiyo and-"

Kioku's Keyblade had then shook violently, causing him to stop his banter. A keyhole appeared in the sky. The boy spun his Keyblade and aimed it, sealing the Keyhole with a beam of light. He lowered his Keyblade and gave it a stare. Suddenly, slow clapping was heard, Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick spun around to see Vicky approaching them. "Good job Kioku, you found another Keyhole." Vicky smiled.

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick got into a stance with their weapons. "So, you've been behind all of this!" Spongebob said, pointing his staff at Vicky.

"That's right Sponge-twerp. I teamed up with that old hag and her creepy assistant to help her get that 'GC-whatchamacallit' on the shelves and money in her pockets, so that she could conquer this world with darkness." Vicky explained. "Not gonna lie, I actually liked her."

"I was going to have you three and the Alex Mack kid killed in the explosion, but the whole plan went up in _flames_." Vicky then laughed to herself. "See what I did there?"

"Shut up!" Patrick shouted. "Why are guys trying to stop us from finding the keyholes, anyway?"

"I ain't tellin' you, tubby. It's none of your bee's wax." Vicky barked. "But, Kioku I do have something to tell you. It's about your friend, Yoru.."

Kioku's eyes widen. "What? What happened to Yoru?"

"He's moved on and gotten _new_ friends. Much like yourself, anyways." Vicky smirked. "Yoru was pretty torn up from seeing you bonding with Sponge-brat and Pat-twerp, so much that he's joined the better side."

"What?!" Kioku shouted in anger. "That's a lie and you know it!" Spongebob shouted.

"Really?" Vicky raised an eyebrow. "The next time you see your precious Yoru, he'll be looking for Taiyo on his own. And he won't need you anymore." Vicky opened a corridor of darkness. "See you around." She walked through it, leaving the three alone in the dark field, which was illuminated by the fires of the plant beside them.

Kioku lowered his head. "Yoru hates me?" Spongebob put a hand on Kioku's shoulder. "C'mon. There's no way he could ever hate you."

"Yeah." Patrick said. "You two are best buddies."

"If anything, I say it's just Vicky trying to get to you." Patrick added. Kioku took a deep breath. He collected his thoughts and sighed. "Yeah, maybe you're right. I'm not gonna let Vicky get to me." Spongebob and Patrick looked at each other and smiled.

"Right now, we need to focus on looking for Taiyo and the king." Kioku said, with valor in his voice. "When I see Yoru, I'll try to work things out with him."

"C'mon, Kioku. We've stayed long enough, let's get going." Spongebob said. The three left to the Gummi Ship and got ready to blast off to the next world.

* * *

 **{You've learned the power of Thunder. Thunder has upgraded to Thundara!}  
**

 **{OBTAINED: GC-161**

 **ATK: 4 | MAG: 6}**


	14. Chapter 13: The Unlikely Friendship

**Chapter 13: The Unlikely Friendship  
**

 **(Field Theme: Once Upon A Time)**

 ** _-Far Far Away: Forest-_**

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick walked through a forest full of healthy green trees with the sunlight peaking in from them. The smell of the afternoon dew calmed them and made them feel relaxed. "Huh, this place is kind of a change of pace compared to the other worlds we've visited." Kioku commented.

"Yeah," Patrick agreed. "

After a few minutes of walking, they saw a group of knights chaining up people and putting them in the back of prison carriages. These people looked a bit out of the ordinary, but then again the three themselves looked way out of place. "What the.." Kioku muttered, shocked to see the helpless beings being chained up and locked away. Spongebob then looked over at a tree and saw a flyer that read,

 **"WANTED!**

 **Fairy Tale Creatures**

 **Reward!**

 **10000$"**

It looked like there a bounty put on the creatures head. And it also seemed like the creatures were being imprisoned for being "Fairy Tales". "Did the Fairy tale creatures do something bad?" Patrick asked.

"I dunno, Pat. Looks like those guards are paying people to hunt them down." Spongebob said, glaring in the distance. "We should go ask them what the deal is," Kioku suggested. The three walked over to the knights to ask them about the flyer. As they got closer, they then saw something go down. An old lady tried to persuade the captain of the knights that her donkey could talk.

"I can talk. I love to talk! I'm the talkin'est darn thing you ever saw." The old lady said, moving the donkey's lips as she talked for it. She was probably trying to turn in a helpless donkey for money. The captain, annoyed at the elderly woman's attempt at trying to fool them, ordered the guards to escort her out of the forest. "Get her out of my sight!"

A guard grabbed the lady and pulled her away from the donkey. They bumped into someone carrying a fairy in a cage. The cage flew up and slammed on the donkey's head, glowing pixie dust covered the animal and it began to levitate into the air. Everyone around them were in awe as the donkey flew around, pixie dust swirling around him. The donkey then taunted the guards at not being able to capture him.

"Now I'm a flyin', talkin' donkey!" The donkey shouted. "You mighta seen a housefly, maybe even a superfly. But I bet you ain't nevah seen a donkey fly!" The donkey taunted. But that was short lived. The donkey's flying ability had worn off and he plummeted to the ground. The knights readied their weapons and were ready to capture the donkey. "Oh no, they're about to capture him!" Spongebob gasped.

"Not on my watch!" Kioku said, summoning his Keyblade and running to the scene.

Kioku ran in front of the donkey and stood in front of it in an attempt to protect him. "Hey, back off!"

The knights glared at Kioku and looked him up and down. "That boy, his clothes a-and weapon...he must be a fairy tale creature.." One of them commented. Spongebob and Patrick ran in with their weapons in hand. "Two more? That's it, all four of you are under arrest!" The captain of the knights said as he and the rest of the knights surrounded Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick and the donkey.

"Oh yeah?" Kioku taunted. "Then try us!"

* * *

 **(Battle Music: Happily Never After)**

The guards seemed to be very educated in combat, as they were able to put up a decent fight with Kioku. The keybearer swung and swatted at a single guard and quickly subdued him, but charging at him were a few others who wanted to challenge him. Spongebob and Patrick hooked arms and spun into another wave of knights, knocking them all over the place as they collided into them. One knight swung his sword at Kioku, but the teen dodged it with an agile back flip and smacked him with the Keyblade. He smirked, "Heh, these guys are pushovers!"

But sneaking up behind him was a knight wielding a crossbow, "Have at you, heathen!" The guard shouted as he aimed his weapon at the boy. Spongebob shrieked and quickly aimed his staff at the knight and casted Stopra on him and froze him in time, earning a few gasps and whispers from the surrounding citizens. The sponge yelled, "Try not to be so cocky Kioku! You almost got killed!"

Kioku chuckled, "My bad!" The teen had then looked around for the donkey, but he wasn't anywhere to be found. "Where's the donkey?" Kioku asked. Then, the they were looking for had pranced right past them, screaming for his life. The donkey ran deeper into the forest, going near a swamp-like area. More knights rushed after them. "Seize them!"

"There's your answer." Patrick said, referring to Kioku's question. "Run!" Spongebob shouted.

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick all ran from the knights as they chased them into the forest. They ran until they saw the donkey, who was hiding behind a big, green and hideous looking Orge. Kioku had no chance to ask, sor he, Spongebob and Patrick stood in front of the two in defense. The knights readied their weapons and stood in formation as the captain of the knights walked forward, looking rather afraid. "You there, ogre!" The captain said.

"Aye?" The ogre spoke, having a Scottish accent. The captain opened a small scroll, "B-By the order of Lord Farquaad, I am authorized to place you five under arrest and transport you to a designated resettlement facility." The captain said fearfully. The Orge moved out of Kioku's way and stared down at the captain.

"Oh yeah, you and what army?" The orge smirked. Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick and the donkey smirked as the rest of the knights had ran off as they were afraid of the Orge. The captain looked back, realizing that his men had left him alone and ran off. The Orge left the four behind. Kioku and the gang followed the Ogre to try and thank him. "Hey, wait up!"

"Hey can I say something to you all?" The donkey looked at Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick and the ogre. "Listen, you guys were really, really somethin' back there."

Kioku smiled. "Thanks, but I think the big ogre really helped out too." The ogre turned around. "Are you talking about me?"

"Yes, we are talking about you." The donkey said. "I mean the three other ones actually fought 'em out. But you! Oh, you really scared 'em good. They really thought they were somethin' until you showed up and BAM! They was trippin' over themselves like babes in the woods. And you see that really made me feel good." The donkey rambled on. "That's great..really.." The ogre said as he was very annoyed. "Now, why don't you go celebrate your freedom with your friends here.."

The donkey looked back at Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick. "Well you see, uh, these aren't really my friends. I don't really have any friends.."

"And we are NOT going out there just to get captured by knights. And trust me, getting captured is not fun." Spongebob said pointing in the other direction, referring to the three's experience from the previous world they visited, Paradise Valley. The donkey had suddenly tackled Kioku to the ground, "Hey, wait a minute! I got a great idea! Why don't we all stick with each other!"

"I like your enthusiasm," Kioku grunted as he shoved the animal off of him. "But, I don't think he would want us bothering him." He said.

"Aw c'mon! He's a lean, green, fightin' machine! And you three are the bloodthirsty protectors of the fairy tale people! Together, we can scare the spit out of anyone who crosses us!" the donkey shouted enthusiastically. The orge turned to the four and let out a loud and scary roar.

 **"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGH!"**

Kioku retched, nearly hurling from the Orge's breath. "Well that was _rude!_ "

The Orge sighed, "Look at me, people! Take a look at me, what am I?"

"Uh...really tall?" Donkey replied.

"No, I'm an ogre!" Shrek yelled. "You know, 'Grab your torch and pitchforks!' Doesn't that bother you?"

Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick and Donkey all shook their head. "No." they replied in unison.

"Really?"

"Yup. I don't see anything wrong." Kioku smiled. "Besides, maybe Donkey's right about us teaming up. Me and my friends need help looking for someone."

"Uh, no thanks." the Orge quickly denied. "Ogres don't really team up with complete strangers and search for people."

"Aw c'mon, big fella! We all take a liking to ya.." Patrick nudged the ogre. "What's your name?"

"Uhh..Shrek." the ogre said, surprised that Kioku and the others weren't afraid of him. "Well I'm Kioku." the boy introduced himself.

The sponge smiled, "I'm Spongebob Squarepants. Nice to meet you, Shrek!"

"Patrick Star! How do you do!" Patrick introduced himself.

"You want to know what I like about you Shrek?" Donkey asked. "You don't seem to care about what anybody thinks, I like that. I respect that."

"Yeah, it's very fitting for a person like you." Kioku added.

* * *

 ** _-_ _Far, Far Away: Ogre Swamp-_**

The five continued on until they reached a small hill that overlooked a small house fit for an ogre. The swamp had smelled pretty bad, almost smelling like onions nearly. "Ugh, who would want to live in a place like that?" Spongebob asked. "It's all nasty and smelly!"

"That would be my home.." Shrek said as he glared at Spongebob, who flinched nervously. "Oh! Well then it doesn't look too bad!" Spongebob chuckled as a light blush stained his cheeks.

Outside of Shrek's house was signs that read, "BEWARE!" and "OGRE AHEAD!". It seemed like Shrek didn't like the humans as much as the humans didn't like him.

"Guess you're not too big on entertainment, huh?" Patrick shrugged.

"I like my privacy." Shrek said meekly.

"You see, we share sumn' in common, Shrek. Like, I hate it when you're trying to give someone a hint and they won't leave. Then, there's a big awkward silence, y'know.." Donkey explained. A long and awkward silence filled the air until Donkey spoke up."Can I stay with you?" The animal asked.

"What?" Shrek said confusingly.

"I'm guessing Donkey wants a new home." Kioku suggested. "After what happened with the knights or whatever."

"Oh of _course—_ I completely understand." Shrek nodded.

"You do?" Spongebob asked with a gasp.

"No." Shrek replied meekly.

"Please! I don't wanna go back there, you guys don't what it's like to be considered a freak!" Donkey exclaimed, soon pausing and looking around at everyone. "Maybe you do. But that's why we all gotta stick together! You gotta let me stay! Please?Please! _Pleeeeaaase_!"

Finally giving in, Shrek yelled over the Donkey. "Okay! I'll let you stay, but one night only." He then looked over at Kioku and the others. "I'm guessin' you three wanna stay too? One night only."

"Sweet." Kioku yawned. "I needed to get some shut-eye anyways. All this traveling around has worn me out."

Donkey exploded with happiness and had started to gallop around the swamp. "Oh this gonna be fun! We gon' stay up late, swappin' manly stories and all that jazz!"

Kioku rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, Donkey?" the boy said, trying to get the animal's attention.

Soon, Heartless had started to emerge around them. Kioku quickly jumped up and summoned his Keyblade. The group of Heartless mostly contained Shadows and Soldiers, but also a new Emblem Heartless. These Heartless wore silver armor, including a bullet-shaped helmet with an opening for their black faces and glowing yellow eyes. Their helmets sport two short spikes and a curled, black antenna, and they do not seem to have legs, instead balancing on a spike. They wielded large, indigo weapons that fire projectiles and each sports a Heartless emblem emblazoned on their chests.

"Donkey! Stay back!" Kioku ordered as he swatted at the Heartless. Donkey screamed in fear and barged into Shrek's house again. They could hear Shrek yelling at Donkey in pure and utter rage. Spongebob and Patrick summoned their weapons and joined the front line with Kioku.

* * *

 **(INFORMATION: Defeat all of the Heartless!)**

Kioku quickly vanquished one of the Shadows with a single swat from his Keyblade, he locked eyes on the Archer Heartless and quickly knocked it towards Spongebob who vaporized it with a Fira spell. Patrick ran towards a group of Heartless and tossed his shields into the air, he leaped into the air after them and caught them right before slamming it on the ground, making the Heartless spring up into the air. Kioku smirked and raised his Keyblade up into the air. He felt an electrifying feeling tingle in his hands, "Thunder!" the loud sound of thunder boomed, followed by a series of lightning bolts striking and vanquishing the Heartless.

A large Big Body had spawned and was charging after Kioku. Spongebob quickly spun his staff and pointed it at the large Heartless, "Freeze!"

The Big Body was frozen in place with a Blizzard spell, Kioku spun around and used his Keyblade with his backhand to slash right through the Heartless and vaporize it. Shrek kicked open the door, as he was very upset. "WHAT IS ALL THAT NOISE?!"

Kioku had began to explain. "It was the Heartless. They had appeared within the swamp, and our job is to eliminate the Heartless and prevent them from finding the core to this world. Or else this world, including your swamp, will fall into darkness." Kioku explained. Shrek looked down at Kioku in disinterest and rolled his eyes.

"Well, what ever you do, please keep it down! And make sure that Donkey stays outside!" Shrek said, tossing Donkey outside. The Orge then slammed the door shut. Kioku dismissed his Keyblade and sat on the ground. "Well, he took it pretty well."

"Really? It looked like he didn't care." Patrick shrugged.

"Figures." Spongebob sighed. "By the way, do you think Vicky is following us again?" Spongebob asked, looking around cautiously. "It's possible. Why else would the Heartless be here?" Kioku replied. "But come to think of it, can't those other two, Ganondorf and Bowser call Heartless too?"

"Heartless? Is that what those things are called?" Donkey asked.

"Yeah." Patrick nodded.

"Well then, if what you said is true about the world and the swamp n' stuff, we should really band together and fight them off." Donkey suggested. "I don't think Shrek would be interested. But I am!"

Kioku chuckled. "Thanks for the offer, but I think we can take them on ourselves." the teen said, turning down Donkey.

"Huh? Oh, okay." Donkey said, lowering his head in sadness. "Well as long as you guys are around, I know I'll be just fine!"

"Aww," Spongebob giggled. "Thanks, Donkey!"

* * *

 _(Later On...)_

Kioku was sound asleep. He had a dream, he was in a field that went on for miles and miles ahead. The sky was clear, and the warm sun beamed down on him. A cool breeze was blowing against his skin. In front of him was Taiyo, and she was facing the other way, looking towards the endless grassy field ahead of her. She was a sight for sore eyes to Kioku, he hadn't seen her since the destruction of his world.

 _"Taiyo?" Kioku said softly, reaching out to touch her shoulder. "My heart..." Taiyo said suddenly. Kioku stopped and put his hand down. What about her heart?  
_

 _"Your..heart?" Kioku raised an eyebrow. "What wrong with it?"_

 _"It sleeps inside someone.." She said. "Only they can wake me again.."_

 _Kioku was confused about Taiyo's words. What was she trying to tell him? Did she lose her heart somehow? Kioku's heart sped up as he thought of the worst. He hoped the Heartless didn't take her heart. But that didn't seem like the case since she was standing right in front of him. "Please, tell me...where does your heart sleep?" Kioku said, in need of an answer.  
_

 _"My heart...it sleeps within..."_

 _The image of Taiyo became distorted, it then being replaced by an image of Shrek yelling very loudly at someone. Kioku_ _covered his ears and he then awoke in the real world._

* * *

Kioku jumped up out of his sleep, only to see Shrek yelling at over 100 people who had migrated to his swamp. All of them looked to be Fairytale creatures. In fact, Kioku saw all of them being packed away into prison carriages. They must have escaped or something. It was also night time, judging by the darkened skies and the presence of fireflies.

 **"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY SWAMP?!"** Shrek yelled, his voice echoing. The ogre was very angry and confused. Kioku wiped the drool from his lips and stood up to his feet. Spongebob, Patrick and Donkey ran up to Kioku. "Finally, you're awake. And I thought Patrick was a heavy sleeper." Spongebob laughed.

"Wh-What's going on?" Kioku said sleepily, looking around. It had seemed like all of the make believe creatures had all moved here to Shrek's swamp and made themselves comfortable. A little too comfortable to Shrek's dismay.

"The fairy tale creatures are in my SWAMP!" Shrek yelled. "All of you, out! out!" Shrek had began to wave and shoo all of them away, but instead a handful of them had ran into Shrek's house and locked the door. Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick and Shrek shot a look at Donkey, who looked right back at them.

"Hey don't look at me, I didn't invite them." Donkey said in his defense. "Well gosh, no one invited us." Pinocchio, a small wooden boy, said. "We came here on our own accord!"

"What, why?" Kioku asked as he folded his arms behind his head.

"Monsters!" A small pig answered. "They've been popping up everywhere! And Lord Farquaad has refused to do anything about it!

Shrek sighed. "Alright—who knows where this Farquaad guy is?" he asked, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear.

No one answered, but however Donkey kept raising a hoof. "Oh, oh, oh. I know where he is!" Kioku looked around nervously, and he desperately wanted someone else to answer. "Does anyone _else_ know where to find him?" He said with emphasis. "OH! OH! OH! PICK ME! PICK ME! PICK ME!" Donkey called out loudly. Kioku sighed with irritation present in his voice.

Shrek rubbed his head and sighed. "Okay, attention all fairy tale..things! Do not get comfortable, your welcome has officially worn out. _IN FACT_ , I'm gonna see this guy Farquaad, RIGHT NOW and get you all off my land and back where you came from!"

The crowd of fairy tale people cheered and clapped. Shrek shot looks at Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick and Donkey. "You three seem to know a lot about these monsters. So you're coming with me."

"Oh yeah! That's what I like to hear," Donkey started. "Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick, Shrek and Donkey. Five stalwart friends out on a whirlwind, but kicking adventure! I LOVE IT!" Donkey exclaimed excitedly.

Kioku rubbed his eyes. "Ughh.." He groaned.

"Kioku, don't look so glum!" Spongebob smiled confidently. "We'll talk to this Farquaad guy about the Heartless, get the fairy tale people back to their homes safely, seal the keyhole to this world and fly out. It'll be smooth sailing."

"I hope so.." Kioku sighed. The five of them then set out on a quest to talk to Farquaad.

* * *

 **(Shrek has joined you!)**

 _-Party Member info: Shrek_

 _ **Ground Pound** : Shrek will beat on the ground with his will stun the enemies close to him and give Kioku some time for attacks._

 _ **Spinning Lariat** : Shrek will hold out both of his arms to his sides and spin around, this is similar to Goofy's attack, "Goofy Tornado"._

 _ **Double Legged Drop Kick** : Shrek hops up in the air and drop kicks an enemy, the enemy will ricochet and hit another one if it's nearby. If not, then the enemy will fly towards Kioku so that he can defeat it with a quick strike._

 _ **Ogre's Roar** : Shrek roars at the enemy, this will stun them._

 _ **Onion Toss** : Shrek will throw onions which will explode into brown gas and will inflict both damage and confusion onto the enemy._

 _ **Green Storm** : Shrek will hop into the air and slam his butt onto the ground, causing a green mist to knock all surrounding enemies back and inflict them with Poison._

* * *

 ** _-Winslow's Journal-  
_**

 ** _*Donkey:_** _A donkey who has the ability to talk. Although he comes off as annoying, he's very loyal and trustworthy. Him and Shrek team up with Kioku and his friends to go on a quest to see Farquaad. **He was Shrek's partner in crime in "Shrek" (2001).**  
_

 _ ***Shrek:** A relatively harmless orge who lives by himself in a swamp and enjoys scaring people. At first, he is very dismissive towards Kioku and the others, but he is forced to team up with them when a drove of fairy tale beings swarm to the swamp after Heartless invaded their homes. **He was an unlikely "all-star" in "Shrek" (2001).** _

_**-Heartless-**_

 _ ***Archer:** Small, knight-like Heartless that are common in Far, Far Away._ _They wield large, indigo weapons that fire projectiles and each sports a Heartless emblem emblazoned on their chests._


	15. Chapter 14: A Knave's Quest

**_Chapter 14: A Knave's Quest  
_**

 ** _-Far Far Away: Lancelot Parking Lot-_**

After traveling a long way since the dead of night, Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick, Shrek and Donkey had finally reached Duloc. "That's it right there, Duloc." Donkey said, pointing a hoof forward. "I told you I'd find it."

"So, that must be Lord Farquaad's castle." Kioku said, resting his hands behind his head as he looked up at the tall, tall castle. "Uh huh. That's the place." Donkey nodded.

"Do you think he's compensating for something?" Shrek laughing. Seeing as no one else was laughing with him, Shrek awkwardly ceased his laughter and continued to walk forward. "H-Hey, wait up Shrek!" Donkey stuttered, running after him. Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick followed behind them.

"Won't the other people be frightened by Shrek's appearance?" Spongebob asked. "Most likely," Kioku nodded. "Hey Shrek, why not try greeting people first, That might help them warm up to you."

"Good idea, Kioku." Shrek smiled. Shrek then attempted to greet a person dressed up in an character's outfit, but it only scared him and made him run off. "Wait a second! I'm not gonna eat ya!" Shrek shouted out after him.

"Yeah, we just wanna find out where Farquaad is!" Patrick yelled after the man. After the man ran away, the five decided to enter the kingdom of Duloc.

* * *

 ** _-Far Far Away: Duloc-_**

As they entered the kingdom, they noticed that everything was very quiet. The streets were empty and the air was very still. "It's quiet.." Shrek said. They all looked around. "Too quiet." Kioku added, looking around in the kingdom. There was shops full of products dedicated to the town's King.

"Where is everybody?" Spongebob asked. Donkey then spotted something and in the distance, fanfare was heard. It came from an entrance to what seemed to be an Arena.

"What's going on over there?" Patrick asked. "You think that Farquaad guy is over there?"

Kioku folded his hands behind his head, "Only one way to find out." The five then made their way over to the kingdom's arena.

* * *

 ** _-Far Far Away: Royal Arena-_**

As they entered, they saw a small king standing on a balcony with two knights by his side, and he seemed to be announcing something. "The champion, shall have the honor, no, no...The _privilege_ to go forth and rescue the lovely Princess Fiona from the fiery keep of the dragon!"

Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick, Shrek and Donkey walked into the crowd of men garbed in armor. It looked like they were competing in a tourney to rescue someone. "If for some reason the winner is unsuccessful. The runner up will take his place and so on and so forth." Farquaad explained. "Some of you may die, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make."

The crowd in the stands cheered loudly afterwards, making the king smile. Kioku looked around at everyone awkwardly. "Hey... Uhh..."

"Let the tournament, begin!" Farquaad shouted. Shrek glared and pushed the other contestants out of the way to speak with Farquaad, with Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick and Donkey following behind him. Farquaad cringed at the sight of Shrek. "Eugh! What is that! It's hideous!" Farquaad exclaimed.

"Oh, that's not very nice." Shrek said, looking back at the other four.

"Yeah, man. it's just a donkey!" Kioku smirked. Donkey tilted his head in confusion.

"Indeed." Farquaad rolled his eyes. "Knights! New plan! The ones who kill the ogre, will be named champion. Now have at him!"

The knights had slowly began to surround the five of them. Kioku chuckled nervously. "Not good." Spongebob said nervously.

Kioku summoned his Keyblade and ran in front of Shrek in an act of protection. "You want the ogre, Then you'll have to get through us!" He then got in a stance with his Keyblade and prepared to fight the Knights..

* * *

 **(Battle Music: Rowdy Rumble)**

 **(INFORMATION: Protect Shrek while taking on the Knights!)**

Kioku smirked and slashed the nozzle of of a barrel of liquid, making it spew out and spray the knights, knocking them back while also covering the ground, and making it very slippery. He twirled around and slid across the arena and began to swat at the knights with his Keyblade. Spongebob froze one of the knights with a Blizzard spell and moved out of the way to let Shrek come in and piledrive the frozen knight into submission.

"Outta my way!" Patrick smashed his shields together and charged through a wave of knights, making them fall down in pain as they were hit on impact. Shrek grabbed another knight and body slammed him into defeat. Farquaad put a palm to his face in dismay as he watched the other contestants get defeated.

One knight with a crossbow attempted to shoot Kioku with it, but he quickly deflected the arrow by spinning his Keyblade and smacking the arrow back at the knight, defeating him almost seamlessly. "Hey, Kioku!" Shrek called to the boy. "Take me hand!"

Kioku shrugged, "Alright, I guess!" The teen grabbed his hand. He tightened his grip on the orge's large green hand. "Spongebob! Patrick! Donkey! Get down!" Shrek shouted. He then lifted Kioku up and swung him around as if he were a club. Kioku held out his Keyblade as the ogre slung him around the arena, taking out any of the Knights if they dared to be anywhere near them. Shrek then accidentally threw Kioku high into the air. "Waaahh!" the teen screamed as he flew into the air.

"Oops..sorry.." Shrek chuckled. One knight attempted to slash at Spongebob, but the mage dodged and torched the knight with a Fire spell in return. The knights then got the better of them and surrounded them. Spongebob cheesed, "Well, isn't this awkward.."

"Hey!" Kioku yelled from above. Shrek, Spongebob and Patrick looked up, only to see Kioku diving down, ready to plunge his Keyblade into the ground. The three scattered as the teen slammed down on the ground Keyblade first, making all of the knights fly back with great force. The young Keybearer stood up and wiped his forehead. The crowd roared as they had won.

* * *

"Thank you, thank you very much. I'm here 'til Thursday." Shrek said, waving to the crowd.

Farquaad smirked and made a gesture to the rest of the knights who were standing on the balconies, making them aim their crossbows right at Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick, Shrek and Donkey. Kioku looked around and got into a stance with his Keyblade. "What, want an encore?"

The knight beside Farquaad spoke, "Shall I give the order, sir?"

"No." Farquaad said, smirking mischievously. "I have a better idea." Farquaad raised his hand into the air. "People of Duloc! I give you our champions!"

"What?" Shrek said in confusion. "Congratulations ogre and friends. You've won the honor of embarking on a great and noble quest!"

"Quest?" Spongebob scratched his head. Kioku shouted back, "We're already on a quest!"

"Yeah, to get my swamp back!" Shrek yelled. "Your swamp?" Farquaad asked.

"Yeah! My swamp! Where those fairy tale creatures are because you didn't do anything about those Heartless!" Shrek yelled.

"Indeed." Farquaad smirked. "Alright ogre, I'll make you a deal. Go on this quest for me and I'll give your swamp back."

"Exactly the way it was?" Shrek questioned the king. the small kid nodded. "Down to last slime covered toadstool."

"And the Heartless?" Kioku asked. "As good as gone." Farquaad nodded yet again.

The five looked around at the crossbows aimed down at them. Kioku lowered his Keyblade and put a hand on his hip. "What kind of quest are we talkin' about here?"

* * *

 ** _-Far Far Away: Flower Fields-_**

"Lemme get this straight, so we're gonna fight a dragon and save a princess just so that Farquaad can give you back _your_ swamp, which you don't have because he filled it with a bunch o' fairytales because the Heartless had drove them out?"

"Eh, sounds about right." Shrek replied.

"I don't get it Shrek, why don't you just pull some a' that ogre stuff and throb and grind his bones into bread?" Spongebob said.

"Oh, maybe I should brutally pick apart a village and make them all part of my dinner, does that sound good?"

"No. Not at all.." Donkey replied.

Shrek folded his arms. "For your information, there's a lot more to ogres than people think."

"Example?" Patrick said. "Example, um. Ogres are like onions!" Shrek said, taking out an onion.

"They stink?" Spongebob replied.

"No." Shrek shook his head.

"They make you cry?" Kioku added.

"No!" Shrek yelled. "Onions have layers, Ogres have layers, you get me?" Shrek then threw down the onion in anger and walked in front of the group.

"Well, this is gonna be a long trip.." Kioku sighed. "You said it." Spongebob nodded. The five then continued onto the castle Princess Fiona was being held at. As they had left the Flower Fields, a Corridor Of Darkness had opened up and stepping out of it, was the great and terrible Bowser himself. He laughed. "This time, I'll have that runt and his dumb friends destroyed in an instant."

"Goin' to rescue a princess, eh?" Bowser smirked to himself. "This'll be fun."

Bowser opened a Corridor of Darkness and walked through it, as he now planned to stalk Kioku and his friends on their quest.

* * *

 _ **-"Perilous" Quest-**_

The five of them traveled miles and miles to find the castle and rescue Princess Fiona. But Kioku still thought about one thing. Taiyo's sleeping heart. Who exactly had her heart? As they passed through valleys and mountain areas, he constantly thought about it.

* * *

 ** _-Far Far Away: Mountains-_**

The five walked cautiously through the mountain area, Kioku sniffed into the air and gagged. "Shrek! Dude, you've gotta warn us when you just crack one like that." Donkey coughed. "Yeah Shrek,"

"Trust me Kioku, if it we're me, you'd all be dead." Shrek laughed. "Plus, this is brimstone. we must be getting close."

"Heh, yeah right." Patrick rolled his eyes.

* * *

 ** _-Far Far Away: Bridge-_**

They proceeded to climb up a rocky wall, the five of them got a haunting view of the castle. A long, narrow wooden bridge swung lightly as it lead up to the castle which held the princess. Surrounding the castle, was a ocean of boiling, hot lava that will bring instant death upon anyone who falls in it. Kioku, for some reason, felt sudden nostalgia as he looked at the castle. A warm feeling soothed his heart and he found himself staring at the castle. Spongebob noticed the boy in a trance, and he quickly snapped his fingers in his face. "Hey! Kioku!"

Kioku shook his head and brought himself back. "Wh-What?"

"Something the matter?" Patrick asked. Kioku shook his head, "Nah, it's nothing."

Donkey commented, "C'mon Kioku, we ain't got time for any naps now!"

"Sure, it's big enough. But look at the location!" Shrek laughed, jumping over the wall and walking towards the bridge, Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick following him. Donkey was the last to follow. "Uh, Shrek. Remember when you said that ogres have layers?" Donkey asked.

"Aye." Shrek nodded. "Well, I have a bit of a confession to make." Donkey said nervously.

"What is it?" Kioku asked. "Uh, donkeys don't have layers. We wear our fear right there on our sleeve."

"But donkeys don't have sleeves." Patrick said. "You know what I mean!" Donkey said, with fear in his eyes.

"Donkey, it took us a really long time to get here. Don't chicken out!" Kioku said, his voice slightly raised with irritation. Donkey glared at him. "Well excuse me Mistah Hero! I'm just a little uncomfortable about being on a rickety bridge over a lake of lava!" Donkey said, pointing a hoof at the lava and bridge.

"Just don't look down," Shrek said. Donkey nodded and repeated Shrek's words. After Donkey had calmed down, they had began to make their way across the bridge. Suddenly the lava below them had began to boiling very quickly, which made Donkey very uneasy. "Uhh.."

"Don't look down." Kioku said, reminding Donkey of Shrek's words. "Ok, don't look down, Donkey. D-Don't look down.." Donkey told himself.

Suddenly, as they were halfway across the bridge, a large number of Heartless appeared around them all threatening to destroy the cables. Donkey tripped and fell.

"Kioku! I'M LOOKIN' DOWN!" Donkey panicked. Kioku summoned his Keyblade and he began to lead the group to the end of the bridge. Kioku and the others quickly ran towards the castle. The Red Nocturne Heartless shot fire balls at the brigde, but the flames were quickly quenched as Kioku used a Blizzara spell on the fireballs to extinguish them. Heartless reinforcements were summoned and they stood in the way of Kioku and the group.

It was risky, but Kioku quickly spun around and smacked the Heartless out the way using the Keyblade and continued running. As they made it across the bridge, they stopped for some air. The swarm of Heartless raced towards them all faster than anything they've seen thus far. Shrek grabbed Kioku and the others in both hands and charged inside the castle.

* * *

 ** _-Far Far Away: Castle Ruins-_**

They witnessed that the castle was partly in ruins. Remnants of past knights who have attempted to rescue the princess still hung around, bones and rusted armor and weapons. They all walked up the steps and looked around. "You guys scared?" Donkey asked.

"No. But, shhh!" Shrek said, putting a finger to his lips. "Alright. We'll need a plan. Donkey, try to find the stairs." Shrek whispered.

"Stairs? I thought we we're looking for the princess." Kioku said

"The princess will be in the highest room in the tallest tower." Shrek said as he started putting on some armor from the left over knights. "How would you know that?" Patrick asked.

"Read it in a book once." Shrek said, walking forward. Donkey then went to go look for the stairs, he opened a large door the lead to another room. As he progressed through it, he heard growling. Kioku looked up and saw a tall tower which had a light shining through a window, showing the someone was inside of it. Kioku smiled, "Well, we know where the princess is, but where is the-"

"DRAGON!" Donkey screamed as a large, menacing dragon burst through the wall. Kioku quickly summoned his Keyblade as Donkey led the dragon to the group. "Look out!" Patrick said. The dragon breathed fire, but Patrick quickly blocked the fire with his shields. The dragon roared loudly as Kioku and the others got into a stance and prepared to fight.

* * *

 **(Battle Music: The Deep End)**

Kioku barely dodged the dragon's large fireball. Shrek tossed a few onions at the dragon, the brown gas exploding in it's face and stunning it, giving Kioku time to attack the dragon with a few swings from his Keyblade. The dragon growled and breathed fire all around the room, creating small patches of fire on the stone floor. "Look out!" the boy shouted.

Spongebob used the Reflect spell to protect him and the others from the fire, which then shot the attack right back at the dragon, causing it to screech in pain and fall down. Shrek ran behind and grabbed it's tail. "Kioku, Gimme a hand will ye!", the teen followed him and grabbed on. The dragon swung it's tail back and forth, trying to get them off, but they were flung off and were flying towards a tower.

"AHHH!"

* * *

 ** _-Far Far Away: Princess' Tower-_**

Kioku and Shrek crashed through the ceiling of the tower, alerting a woman who seemed to be the princess. They both stood up and brushed themselves off. The woman looked at the both of them with calmness in her eyes. But she quickly laid back down on the bed, pretending she was asleep. Kioku and Shrek approached the princess. Shrek then shook her awake.

"Ouch! What?!" the princess yelled. "Are you Princess Fiona?" Kioku asked.

"Yes! I am!" Fiona answered, her beauty stunned Kioku temporarily. He could sense a pure light inside of her heart. "Awaiting a knight..or _knights_ , who are bold as to rescue me!" Fiona smiled.

"Well that's nice," Shrek said. "Now let's go!" As the two turned to leave, Fiona held up a bouquet of flowers. "But wait, sir Knights This be'ith our first meeting! Should it be a romantic one?" Fiona said, smiling at Shrek. "Sorry! But there's no time!" Kioku apologized as he grabbed Fiona by the wrist. Shrek broke down the door and the three had begun to make a run for it.

"But wait! But this is all wrong!" Fiona whined. "A-At least let me know the names of my champions."

The boy sighed. "Kioku!"

Shrek!" Shrek introduced himself. Fiona exhaled with annoyance. "Well, Sir Shrek and Sir Kioku. I pray that you get me out of here as soon as possible!"

"Yeah, yeah. We know!" Kioku nodded. They stopped and saw Spongebob and Patrick waiting by the door. Kioku, Shrek and Fiona approached them. "What's up?"

"Uhh..Donkey's in there with the dragon." Patrick said. Kioku gasped "Oh, crap! Is he okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, he's just-" Spongebob stuttered awkwardly. Shrek walked up to the door and opened it. He took a peek and witnessed the dragon, who wrapped Donkey up with it's tail and was talking with him. It seemed like Donkey had charmed the dragon somehow. Shrek and Kioku looked at each other with very odd expressions on their faces. Kioku nodded at Shrek, "I've got a plan."

The boy hopped up on the railing and jumped up on the chain. He swung back and forth, he then pulled the chain downward, making the chandelier fall down on the dragon and trap it. The dragon roared loudly in pain as it had been trapped. Kioku jumped down and rescued Donkey. "About time you got here!" Donkey said. Kioku and Donkey ran up the stairs and avoided the dragon's fire. The two reunited with the group and proceeded to escape the castle.

* * *

 ** _-Far Far Away: Mountains-_**

The six managed to escape into the mountains. Shrek and Fiona slid down the dusty slope together. She smiled warmly and turned towards him.

"You did it! You rescued me! You're amazing, you're..."

The other five slid down the slope to meet with them. "..A little unothrodox I'll admit. But.." Fiona approached Kioku and Shrek. "Thy deed is great and thine heart is pure. I am forever in your debt." Donkey cleared his throat. Spongebob and Patrick folded their arms. "Uh, what about us? We helped too!"

Fiona turned around and pet Donkey. "And where would his Knight be without his noble steed and accomplices?"

Donkey nudged Spongebob, "Hear that? I'm a noble steed!"

"The battle is won, it is now time to remove your helmet, my sir knight." Fiona smiling at Shrek. Shrek's face droppped. "Uh..no."

Fiona frowned at the orge, clad in armor. "Why not?"

"Uh..because I have helmet hair!" Shrek said nervously. Fiona got closer. "Please, I would like to looketh upon the face of my other rescuer."

"Oh no you wouldn't..'st" Shrek chuckled nervously. Fiona blushed, brushing some of her hair behind her ear. "But, how would you kiss me?"

Shrek's eyes widen, "What? That wasn't in the job description!"

"Maybe it's a perk!" Spongebob shrugged. "No! It's destiny!" Fiona said. "A princess is locked in a tower, which is guarded by a fearsome dragon is rescued by a brave knight. Or in this case ' _knights_ '. The leader of the group gets to kiss the princess."

Kioku rubbed the back of his neck. "Fiona...Shrek is not who you think he is." He gulped and continued. "He's not human. He's a.."

Shrek then removed his helmet. Fiona got a good look at Shrek's face, not saying anything as she was left in shock. The knight in shining armor turned out to be an ugly ogre.

"Y-Your an ogre.." She muttered.

"Oh, you were expecting Prince Charming?" Shrek asked, giving Fiona a nasty look.

"Well yes, actually." Fiona replied. "Oh, this is all wrong. You're not suppose to be an ogre!" Fiona walked off, as she was very disappointed.

"Uh, your highness. We were sent to rescue you by Lord Farquaad. He's the one who wants to marry you." Kioku said, walking after her.

"Well, why didn't he come rescue me?" Fiona asked. "Good question! You should ask 'im that when we get there." Shrek said, throwing the helmet down.

Fiona argued, "But I'm suppose to be rescued by my true love! Not some knaves and their pet!"

Kioku sighed. "Look, you're not making our job any easier. We saved you, don't we deserve a bit more credit?"

"Well, I'm sorry but your job is not my problem!" Fiona said. "You can tell Lord Farquaad that if he wants to rescue me properly, I'll be right here!" Fiona then plopped down on a boulder.

"Hey! I'm no one's messenger boy. I'm a delivery boy!" Shrek said, walking up to Fiona. Fiona narrowed her eyes, "You wouldn't dare!"

Shrek then picked Fiona up and began to carry her over his shoulder, much to her dismay. "You comin' boys?"

"Right behind you.." Kioku sighed in exhaustion. The six had then started on their journey back to Duloc.

* * *

 ** _-Winslow's Journal-_**

 ** _*Lord Farquaad:_** _The ruler of the Kingdom of Duloc. He had banished all of the fairy tale creatures to Shrek's swamp, much to the orge's dismay. After Kioku and Shrek interrupt and unintentionally win a tournament, he makes them go on a quest to save a Princess Fiona, who is locked inside of a castle. **This guy had the short end of the stick in "Shrek" (2001).**  
_

 ** _*Princess Fiona:_** _A beautiful and pure hearted princess. She is rescued by Kioku and Shrek from the castle surrounded by lava, but is very unhappy when she finds out Shrek isn't exactly a Prince Charming-type o' guy. **She was the damsel in distress in "Shrek" (2001).**  
_


	16. Chapter 15: True Love?

_**Chapter 15: True Love?  
**_

 ** _-Far Far Away: Lakeside-_**

The hours passed by as they traveled back to Duloc, and they were still traveling. Shrek still had Fiona over his shoulder, with Kioku and the others following behind the two. It was getting pretty close to nightfall. Breaking the silence, Fiona then asked a question out of boredom. "So, what's this Lord Farquaad like?"

"Well, let me put it this way. " Shrek said as he dropped Fiona to the ground. "Men of Farquaad's status are in _short_ supply." Shrek laughed. Kioku chuckled. "Yeah, there are some people who think _little_ of him." Kioku and Shrek laughed together, making Fiona glare at them.

"Stop it you two!" Fiona pouted, "You're just jealous that you can't measure up to be a great ruler like Lord Farquaad." she huffed.

"Yeah sure. We'll let you do the measuring when you see him tomorrow." Spongebob said. "Tomorrow?!" Fiona gasped. She looked at the sky only to see that it was sunset. "It'll take that long, Shouldn't we stop to make camp?"

"No. Wouldn't that take longer?" Kioku asked. "Exactly, Kioku." Shrek nodded. "We can keep it going."

"B-But there's robbers in the woods!" Fiona said nervously. "Whoa! Time out! Camp sound good right about now, guys." Donkey insisted.

"C'mon now, I'm scarier than anything is this forest." Shrek said. The teen nodded, "Yeah and with the Keyblade's magic, I can take those guys out with ease." Kioku smirked.

Fiona ran in front of the two and screamed, "I need to find somewhere to camp, NOW!" Kioku and Shrek looked at each other and then at Fiona with shock on their faces.

* * *

 ** _-Far Far Away: Cave-_**

They decided to give Fiona shelter in a cave. It was night time, so the group decided to rest for now. Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick, Shrek and Donkey sat around the camp fire.

"So Shrek, what are we gonna do when we get our swamp back?" Donkey asked. "After we return the princess to Farquaad and all."

"Our swamp?" Shrek exclaimed. "Donkey, there is no 'our' or 'we' and when I get my swamp back, I'm building a ten foot wall over my land."

Donkey branded a sadden look on his face. "You cut me deep Shrek, you cut me real deep." he said. "And who are you trying to keep out anyway?"

"Drop it." Shrek said, as he was now incredibly annoyed."Yeah, who are you trying to keep out?" Spongebob asked.

Shrek stood up. "Everyone!"

"Shrek, what do you have against the world anyways?" Kioku asked, looking up at the ogre.

"I don't have anything against anyone! It's the world that seems to have a problem with me!" Shrek said. "People take one look at me and run away. 'Ah! Help! It's a big, dumb, ugly ogre!'" Shrek went and sat on a cliff, looking up at the moon. "They judge me right before then even know me." Shrek sighed. "That's why I'm better off alone."

"No, Shrek." Kioku said as he stood up. "No one is better off alone. No one deserves to be singled out and left alone, either. When you're alone, you feel like no one will have your back. No one to turn to. It's a pretty bad feeling." He sighed. Kioku walked up to Shrek and sat next to him. "Look, when we first met. I didn't think you were a big, dumb, ugly ogre. " Spongebob, Patrick and Donkey came and sat by them too.

"Yeah, I know." Shrek smiled and nodded. "All my life, I've been pestered and judged by so many humans that..I've sorta became a negative guy."

"Everywhere I go, they all scream and shout at me. Angry mobs always coming to my swamp to try and attack me. It made me feel alone, but I felt more angry than just feeling alone." Shrek explained. Donkey trotted over to Shrek and gently nudged him with his head. "Hey, hey..it's alright now. You've got the best pals you could ever ask for here with ya."

"Yeah," Spongebob chimed in. "In a matter of no time, we'll deliver Princess Fiona to Farquaad and get your swamp back. Then everything will be okay!"

Shrek objected. "But, don't you guys still have to find those people you're looking for?"

"Well..yeah." Kioku nodded. "But when a friend's help, we gotta pull together and help them out too, y'know?"

Shrek laughed, shaking his head at how optimistic everyone was being. "What's with all the optimism all of a sudden, aye?"

Everyone else couldn't help but laugh along side Shrek. After a while, they put out the campfire and went to sleep. While in a small, wooden cabin in the area. Princess Fiona had listened in on their conversation. She felt different about Shrek, and wanted to be more a friend towards him. She leaned against the wooden wall and fell fast asleep.

* * *

 ** _(The Next Morning)_**

After a night of rest, it was now morning time in Far, Far Away. Kioku slowly opened his eyes, yawning soon after he sat up and stretched his limbs. The ground was damp with dew, and the air was very moist as well. Not only that, but the teen had also smelled something being cooked. He looked around and he saw Princess Fiona cooking something over the fire. He was pretty confused, but didn't have any words to express it. "Uhh.."

"Morning, Kioku." Fiona smiled at the boy. "How do you like your eggs?"

Soon, Shrek woke up and he had the same expression as Kioku. A look of confusion. "What's all this?" He asked.

Fiona giggled, "Well, we did get off on the wrong foot. After all, you did rescue me." She then set down a rock with six sunnyside up eggs on it right in front of them. "Eat up. We've got a big day ahead of us!" Fiona smiled. Kioku whispered to Spongebob and Patrick. "Is it me, or is Fiona acting a bit strange?"

"Yeah, she is acting different." Patrick whispered. "I wonder what the deal is." After they all ate, they headed out for Duloc again, hoping to reach the kingdom by the evening.

* * *

 ** _-Far Far Away: Calm Forest-_**

The five carried on quietly through the woods until Shrek burped out of nowhere. "Ew, Shrek. Is that any way to act in front of a princess?" Donkey scolded.

Fiona then let out a burp herself. "Eh," Kioku chuckled."She's just as gross as you are, Shrek." the teen said, nudging the orge playfully.

Shrek laughed. "Y'know Fiona, you're not exactly as I expected."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't judge someone before you get to know them." Fiona smiled before she walked in front of the group, humming a ballad.

"Whoa.." Kioku smiled. Maybe today things would get better for those two. Suddenly, a man garbed in green swung by on a rope and swept Fiona up. Kioku summoned his Keyblade. "Princess Fiona!" he shouted.

Fiona and the man in green had landed on a larged tree branch. "What are you doing?!" Fiona yelled.

"Be still, chere. For I am your savior!" The man smiled."I am rescuing you from this green beast and his lackeys!"

"Hey!" Shrek yelled. "What are ye doing?!"

"That's _our_ princess! Now let her go and get outta here!" Kioku shouted, pointing his Keyblade at the man.

"Please! Can't you see I'm a little busy here?!" The man yelled back. Fiona shoved the man away, "Look pal! I don't know who you think you are!"

"Oh. How rude! Allow me to introduce myself. Oh merry men—"

Fiona drop kicked Robin Hood in the face and sent him flying to the ground. The girl landed on her feet and brushed her dress off.

"What a creep!" Fiona sighed. One of the merrymen attempted to shoot Fiona with an arrow, but Kioku intervened and knocked the arrow away with his Keyblade.

"What's with you guys, you tryin' to start something?" Kioku asked in the threatening tone.

Robin Hood hopped up to his feet and readied his blade. "Unleash the beasts, Monsieur Bowser!"

Kioku gasped, "Bowser?!"

The large koopa entered through a Corridor of Darkness, laughing. He smiled and snapped his fingers, summoning droves of Heartless to help the Merrymen and Robin Hood defeat Kioku and the others, while also capturing Princess Fiona. "Nab the princess, boys! She's important!" Bowser demanded. "And don't forget to take these doofuses out!"

The rest of the Merrymen surrounded them, threatening to kill them. "Donkey, take care of the Heartless!" Kioku ordered.

* * *

 **(Battle Music: Squirming Evil)**

 **(INFORMATION: Protect Princess Fiona while fighting off Robin Hood and his Merry Men!)**

Kioku dashed over at Robin Hood and smacked him away with a strong attack from his Keyblade that sent him flying into a tree. Shrek picked up one of the Merrymen and threw him up and body slammed him into the ground, quickly putting him out of commission.

Spongebob stunned another Merryman with a Thunder spell, and then swept him away with an Aerora spell. Robin Hood recovered and ran over to Kioku and swung his dagger, only for Kioku to block the attack and push him away. He then spun into Robin Hood with his Keyblade and smacked him around a few times, just before subduing him with another swat.

"Oh no!" Robin Hood screamed in defeat right before falling to the ground. A few more Merrymen attempted to attack Kioku, but surprisingly Princess Fiona rushed in and took them out with karate-like attacked. Shrek and Donkey's jaws dropped. Bowser growled in anger. "You take down my Heartless and take down my minions! Grr...I won't give up that easily!" Bowser then ran off into the forest.

"Well, let's get going shall we?" Fiona said, smiling.

"Hold the phone!" Shrek said, chasing after Fiona. "Where did you learn all of that?"

"Well, when one lives by themselves they'll have to learn those things in case something happens." Fiona smiled.

* * *

 ** _(Journey back to Duloc)_**

After the encounter with Bowser, they resumed their journey back to Duloc. Along the way, they faced more ruffians and Heartless, the ruffians seems like they wanted Shrek dead simply because he was an ogre. But Fiona continued to show them all her own excellent fighting skills, proving to them that she wasn't just some weak damsel in distress. She even got along with Shrek a lot more. The voyage seemed quicker on the way back, as it took almost them the whole day. Kioku still thought about his dream more and more as they voyaged.

* * *

 ** _-Far Far Away: Outskirts-_**

Finally, they reached the outskirts of Duloc and it was nearly sunset. "Here we are, princess." Kioku smiled.

"Your future awaits you." Shrek said, a bit saddened. "That's Duloc?" Fiona asked as she pointed towards the large kingdom before them.

"Yeah, let's get going." Spongebob said. "Farquaad's waiting for you."

"But wait," Fiona shouted. "I'm worried about Donkey!" Donkey shot a confused look at Fiona. "What are you talking about? I'm fine."

"Well that's what they always say," Fiona said, grabbing Donkey's face. "Then next thing you know, you're dead!"

Kioku joined in, "Yeah Donkey, you look a little pale."

"Why don't we go find some firewood and cook some dinner!" Patrick suggested. "I am pretty hungry!"

"Great idea, Patrick!" Fiona smiled. "I'll go get the firewood!"

"And we'll go find the dinner!" Kioku and Spongebob said as they ran off quickly. Later, they set up camp and were eating their last meal together. Fiona sighed and looked over at the castle in Duloc. "Guess I'll be dining differently tomorrow night."

Shrek looked down at his food. "Well, you can come visit me in the swamp, I can cook all kinds a' things for you."

"Really?" Fiona smiled warmly. Shrek nodded. After a brief moment of silence, Shrek blushed and muttered. "Uh..princess?"

"Yes, Shrek?" Fiona smiled at the orge. Just as Shrek was about to say something, Donkey had interrupted. "Well! Ain't this romantic? The lovely food, the warm camp fire, and the sunset.."

"SUNSET?!" Fiona gasped. "Uh, sorry, I have to go...it's pretty late isn't it?" She got up and quickly began to run off inside. "Hold it right, there!" Patrick said. "I know what's going on around here."

Fiona's heart had began to race rapidly. Patrick smiled. "You're scared of the dark aren't you?" he teased.

"Oh yes Patrick, that's it. I'm terrified of the dark." Fiona laughed nervously. "Horrified even! I think I'd better go inside." Fiona said as she was about to rush inside. "Good night," She smiled warmly to Shrek.

"Good night." Everyone else said to her as she walked inside. The teen smiled at the others, "Guys, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Kioku said, nudging an elbow at Spongebob, who was aslo smiling.

"Yeah, it seems like Shrek and Fiona really dig each other." Donkey agreed. Shrek shook his head, "No we don't. I'm just bringing her back to Farquaad."

"Oh don't play dumb with us!" Patrick exclaimed. "You and Fiona like each other. Just go in there and tell her how you feel!" Patrick folded his arms.

"No!" Shrek yelled. "There's nothing to tell! Even If I did tell her, not saying that..you know. Not that I do! 'Cause I don't! Plus, she's a Princess and I'm an.."

"What? An ogre?" Kioku sighed.

Shrek nodded. "Yeah..an ogre." Shrek then got up and started to walk off into the forest. "Hey. Where are you going?" Donkey asked.

"To get more fire wood." He replied. Shrek sat on the grass and looked over at Duloc, the kingdom illuminated with lights from the buildings, he sat there until nightfall. Donkey looked up at Kioku, "Hey, I'm a little worried about Fiona. You think she's alright?"

Kioku shrugged, "I dunno. Maybe we need to go see if she's okay." He suggested, seeming as how she just quickly took refuge inside of the old cabin was pretty odd.

The four all agreed to check up on Fiona, they quietly walked over to the small cabin and knocked on the door. Not getting an answer, Kioku knocked a few more times. "I thought she went inside. What is she doing in there?" Kioku whispered. Suddenly they felt a presence behind them and soon heard Fiona's voice. "Looking for me?"

They all turned around and saw a female orge with the same red hair and the same green dress Fiona donned. She had a sad look on her face as she looked at Kioku and the others.

"Fiona..?" Donkey tilted his head. Fiona sniffled. "I know. I'm ugly.."

* * *

The five of them went inside so that Fiona could explain her situation to them. To explain why she looked like an Orge."It only happens when the sun goes down. I've been this way for as long as I can remember.." Fiona explained. "When I was a little girl, a witch cast a spell on me. And this is the form I take each and every night. This horrible, ugly, BEAST!" She exclaimed.

The four of them looked at Fiona with sympathy. "I was placed in a tower to await for the day my true love rescues me. That's why I must marry Lord Farquaad tomorrow before the sun sets and he sees me." Fiona explained further. "Like this."

Fiona had began to cry, tears quickly falling down her face. Kioku exhaled sadly and sat beside her. "It'll be okay. Don't sweat it." He said.

Fiona sobbed. "But I'm a princess! This is not how a princess is suppose to look!" Spongebob stepped in. "What if you don't marry Farquaad?"

"I have to, Spongebob. Only that will break the spell."

Spongebob thought about it. "Well, you're an ogre. And Shrek's an ogre. And you both have a lot in common." Fiona looked up at Spongebob.

"Shrek?" Fiona gasped. "Who could ever love a beast so hideous and ugly?" she said sadly. "And princess and ugly don't go together, so that's why I can't stay here with Shrek! The only chance I have to be happy is to marry my true love! Don't you see, you guys? That's just how it has to be."

"That's the only way to break the spell." Fiona said.

"Well, you could at least tell Shrek? It might make him feel better." Donkey said.

"No! Don't breathe a word! No one must ever know!" Fiona exclaimed. "What's the point of keeping secrets when it'll only keep eating you up on the inside?!" Kioku shouted, as he didn't see the point of bottling up feelings.

"Kioku! Promise me that you won't tell Shrek! Promise!" She sobbed. The four of them went silent, and stared at each other. Fiona sniffled as more tears filled her eyes, "Please, I'm begging you guys."

"Alright. Fine!" Kioku sighed. "But you need to tell him yourself when the time comes!""

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Fiona gave Kioku a giant hug that nearly crushed him. "I owe you all."

"Get some rest. Farquaad will be expecting you tommorow." Patrick ordered. Fiona nodded and laid down on the old bed in her cabin. Kioku and the other returned to there campsite, and saw Shrek already fast asleep. They put out the campfire and laid down to rest.

* * *

 ** _(Morning)_**

The sounds of fanfare woke up Kioku and the others early that morning. As Kioku rubbed his eyes, he saw Farquaad riding on a horse, accompanied with a crew of knights standing on each side of him. Kioku stood up to his feet, along with Spongebob and Patrick. Shrek and Fiona stood before the ruler, the orge seemed to be a bit crabby for some reason.

"Princess Fiona," Farquaad smiled. "As promised." Shrek said abruptly. "Now hand it over!"

"As you wish ogre, the deed to your swamp. Take it and go." Shrek snatched the deed from Farquaad and began to walk away. Kioku reached out to Shrek, unable to say any words, but he was already halfway gone. Farquaad and Fiona had introduced one another. A knight placed Farquaad on the ground, showing Fiona his true height, much to her dismay.

"Beautiful Princess Fiona. I do ask for your hand in marriage." Farquaad said, getting on his knees. "Will you be the perfect bride, for the prefect groom?"

Fiona looked at Shrek, who was making his way to his swamp, looking back with sadness. "Lord Farquaad, I accept." Fiona nodded. "Nothing will change my mind." She said as she looked back at Shrek.

"Excellent!" Farquaad exclaimed. Him and Fiona got up on the horse and trotted away, with Kioku and the others quickly running up to talk to Shrek. "Shrek! What are you doing?!" Kioku yelled. "You can't just let her get away like that!"

"Yeah? So what." Shrek said angrily. "Look, there's something about her that you don't know." Donkey said. "We talked to her last night and-"

"I know you talked to her last night!" Shrek yelled. "You're all great pals aren't ya? Now if you're such good friends, why don't you follow her home?"

"Shrek.." Kioku gasped in shock, not knowing that he was awake to hear them speaking. "NO! You're not gonna follow me! I live alone! My swamp! Me, and nobody else!" Shrek yelled. "Understand? Especially useless, pathetic annoying talking donkeys and a trio of freaks!"

Shrek then stormed off, leaving Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick alone with Donkey. Donkey whimpered with sadness. Kioku gritted his teeth, and bawled up his fists. "I dunno what his deal is, but he needs to be straightened out." Kioku said. "Let's go."

* * *

 ** _-Far Far Away: Shrek's Swamp-_**

The four arrived at the swamp in a short period of time. The boy picked up a rock and chucked it at Shrek's door, making him come outside. Shrek opened the door and was surprise at seeing the four of them in his swamp. "Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick.. and Donkey?"

"What is with you, why are you and Fiona not getting along?" Kioku asked, raising his voice at the orge.

"Well you should know! You're the ones who were talking about me behind my back!" Shrek said, pointing a finger. "What? No we didn't!" Patrick denied. "You're so wrapped up in your layers, onion boy, that you're starting to be afraid of your own feelings!"

Shrek glared at them and stormed back into the house. "Go away." Donkey scoffed. "There it is again, you're doing it _again_. Just like you did to Fiona! And all she ever did was care about you!"

Shrek paused. "Care about me?" he said from the inside of his house."She said I was ugly! A hideous creature! I heard the five of you talking."

"She wasn't talking about you, genius!" Kioku snapped. "She was talking about...someone else.." the boy stuttered, trying not to reveal Fiona's secret. Shrek opened his door and stepped out, his angry expression lowered into a calmer one. "She..wasn't talking about me? Well then who was she talking about?"

"Uh, you wouldn't want to know." Spongebob chuckled nervously. He then folded his arms. "Besides, we're just an annoying donkey and a trio of freaks, right?"

Shrek sighed and shook his head. "Alright, fine. I'm sorry, okay?"

Kioku and the others folded their arms and didn't say a word, not being convinced by Shrek's orge sighed once more and looked at them. "I'm sorry. Maybe I am just a big, stupid, ugly ogre..can you guys forgive me?" Shrek apologized, this time being sincere. The teen smiled and put his hand out to shake his hand. "Isn't that what friends are for?"

Shrek grabbed Kioku's hand and shook it. "Friends?" Kioku nodded, "Always will be."

"So, what did Fiona, say about me?" Shrek asked. "Don't ask us," Donkey winked.

Shrek gasped. "The wedding! We'll never make it in time!"

"Oh no worries, Shrek!" Donkey said. He then whistled and summoned the giant dragon from Fiona's castle, who flew by and landed in the swamp. Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick gawked in amazement. "Whoa!"

Donkey smirked, "Don't worry boys, she won't bite!" They all hopped on and the dragon took flight into the air.

* * *

As they flew into the air, they had begin to hear the sounds of small helicopter blades. Flying up beside them in a clown car, was Bowser again. Kioku looked over at Bowser and gritted his teeth. "You know what? You've been causing nothing but trouble this whole time! You're so annoying!"

Bowser laughed. "Shuddap you brat. You're the ones who are annoying. You've foiled all of my precious plans of killing you! And now, this is my one and only chance to finish you guys off so that I can finish the mission!"

Shrek narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"Shuddup and let me squash you all flat!" Bowser shouted. He roared loudly and flying from over them was a large Heartless that was named "Ruler of the Sky".

The Ruler of the Sky resembles a large, skeletal parrot. Its body is covered in violet plumage and it has a jeweled, gold collar around its neck. Its tail is comprised of several skulls linked together, while its wings are comprised of four gold cutlasses with alternating violet and red gems set in their guards. The topmost cutlass in each wing ends in a hook, and none of the cutlasses are actually connected to each other. The Ruler of the Sky's head sports yellow eyes and a jeweled, violet and gold crown. Its mouth is comprised by a brown treasure chest filled with gold coins with gold lining, and black spikes acting as teeth that the Heartless has clenched in its beak. Its Heartless emblem is on the top of its crown.

The Heartless flew around the dragon, and threatened to attack it. Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick and Shrek stood up on the dragon's back and prepared for a fight. "I dunno how we're gonna fight this thing, but take this thing down!"

* * *

 **(INFORMATION: Defeat the Ruler of the Sky! Make sure Dragon doesn't take too much damage!)**

 **(Battle Music: Destiny's Force)**

The Ruler of the Sky flew closely to the dragon, Kioku took this chance to attack it with a few swats from his Keyblade right before shooting it with a quick shot of Thunder. Shrek tossed an onion at the Heartless and made the vegetable explode on impact, making the Heartless dizzy and end up flying in front of the dragon. Kioku pointed his Keyblade at the Heartless. "Dragon! Fire!" the boy commanded. The dragon breathed flames onto the Heartless and set fire to it. The Heartless then began to fly around wildly, trying to subdue the pain. Kioku spun his Keyblade and raised it into the air and summoned some more lightning bolts to jolt the Heartless and electrocute it. Spongebob jumped up and summoned explosive bubbles to form around the Heartless and burst, causing heavy damage to it. Ruler of the Sky regained it senses and spun around, smacking everyone in the face with it's bony tail, causing them to take damage.

Patrick jumped and attacked the Heartless with swings from his two shields The Heartless used it's sword-like wings to get close and swing them at all of them. Kioku used Reflect to protect them all and deflect it's attack back at it, making it fly back as it took damage from it's own attacks. Ruler of the Sky began swooping back and forth in an attempt to hit them, But only the dragon was taking hits from the Heartless. The dragon roared in pain as it slowly began to descend. Ruler of the Sky was about to fire some coins from it's chest, but Kioku thought of a plan.

"Shrek!" Kioku shouted. "Launch me towards the Heartless!"

"Aye, lad!" Shrek nodded and picked Kioku up and slung him over to the Heartless, Kioku grabbed the Heartless' neck and spun around it right before getting on it's back. He wailed on it with his Keyblade and leaped into the air and pointed his Keyblade at it, "FREEZE!"

Kioku shot a powerful blast of ice magic at the monster, freezing the Heartless and opening the course that was in it's tail. Kioku quickly landed safely back on the dragon. Shrek pulled out an onion. "Have a nice fall!" He shouted as he chucked the explosive onion as the Heartless, delivering the final hit. Ruler of the Sky screeched in pain, and quickly descended out of the air.

Bowser growled with anger. "Grrr... This ain't the last you'll see of me!" Bowser shouted, shaking his fist. He flew away in his clown car. Shrek turned to Kioku, "Who in the heck was that guy, didn't we run into him and those guys in the forest yesterday?"

Kioku dismissed his Keyblade, "Long story short. He's one of the bad guys we're after."

"He must of known we were going to find the keyhole of this world." Spongebob pondered. "Also, he tried to kidnap the princess!"

Donkey shook his head. "Well then, let's just hope that ugly freak a' nature doesn't try to run into us again! I'll take that sucka out!"

Shrek sighed, "Let's just hurry up and get to Duloc!" The dragon then took them to Duloc. Where Fiona and Farquaad where soon to be wed.

* * *

 ** _-Far Far Away: Church-_**

The dragon landed outside of the church, scaring away all of the knights who guarded the entrance. The five of them jumped off of the dragon's back and headed for the door's to the church. "If we need you, we'll whistle!" Kioku said to the dragon. The dragon nodded and began to chase the knights. They could hear the muffled voice of the priest.

"We'd better hurry inside if we want to make it in time." Shrek said. "We're right behind you." Patrick saluted.

* * *

They burst the open the doors and ran inside. "I object!" Shrek shouted as he ran down the aisle leading to the altar. Kioku and the others followed behind him. "Shrek? Kioku? Spongebob? A-And Patrick?" Fiona gasped, relieved to see them.

"Oh great, now what do they want?" Farquaad sighed. The whole church gasped in fear as they invaded the church. Shrek approached Fiona. "Fiona, we need to talk."

"Oh, now you want to talk?" Fiona scoffed."Sorry, but it's a little to late for that. So if you'll excuse me," Fiona said, getting ready to kiss Farquaad. Shrek yanked her away, "But you can't marry him!"

"And why not?" Fiona shouted. "Because he's just marrying you so that he can be King!" Kioku revealed. "The whole rescue mission was just a plot for him to take the throne once he married you and get rid of all those fairy tale creatures."

Farquaad gasped. "Outrageous! Fiona don't listen to them!"

"But Fiona, he's not your true love!" Patrick said. "And what do you all know about true love?" Fiona asked.

Shrek sighed, "Well I..uh.."

Farquaad laughed. "Well this is precious, the ogre has fallen in love with the princess!" The whole church was in an uproar of laughter. Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick looked around, disgusted at the entire town.

"What a bunch of jerks." Kioku scoffed.

"Shrek.." Fiona said softly. "Is this true?"

As Shrek was about to answer, Farquaad immediately interrupted. "WHO CARES?! IT'S PREPOSTEROUS! Fiona, my love. We're about a kiss away from our happily ever after! Now kiss me!" Farquaad puckered his lips and expected Fiona to kiss him, but instead she looked at him with disgust. She looked over at the sun, which was beginning to set. "By night one way, by day the other." Fiona backed away towards the window.

"I wanted to show you, Shrek."

Fiona smiled as light and clouds had began to cover her, and change her form. In a flash of light, Fiona had been changed back into her Ogre form. The whole church recoiled in disgust. Shrek chuckled. "Well, uh, that explains a lot."

Farquaad exclaimed. "Eugh! It's disgusting! Guards, I order you to get them. Get them all out of my sight." Countless knights then came in and attempted to apprehend Kioku and the others. "No! Shrek!" Fiona cried.

"This marriage is cancelled and that makes me King!" Farquaad said, putting on a crown. Kioku summoned his Keyblade and knocked some of the guards away with it. Shrek growled and fought back alongside Kioku.

"And as for you, my queen!" Farquaad unsheathed a short blade and held it up to Fiona's neck. "I will have you locked up in that tower for the rest of your days!"

"Why don't you back off?!" Kioku shouted as he used his Keyblade to shoot a short blast of magic at Farquaad's hand, knocking the blade out of his hand.

"Gahh!" Faarquad exclaimed, rubbing his wrist in pain. Farquaad quickly ran and picked up one the knight's heavy broadsword and pointed it towards them.

"You all shall be beheaded by the hands of the king of Duloc himself!" Farquadd shouted. "En garde, you scum!"

* * *

 _ **(Battle Theme: Vim and Vigor)**_

 _ **(INFORMATION: Put Farquaad in his place!)**_

Farquaad hopped into the air and swung at Kioku with his sword, who backed up just in time. The boy countered with a swing from his Keyblade, hitting the tiny ruler right in his oversized head. He smacked him around a few more times, making the ruler cry in pain just before swatting him away. Farquaad flew back and hit the ground, he stumbled to his feet. With his face now bruised from the Keyblade, he raised his sword once again and charged at a vulnerable Fiona, making Shrek run after him. Shrek roared and punched Farquaad, making him stumble and fall down on his back. Shrek shouted at Fiona, "Go take cover!"

Fiona nodded and ran away from the fight. Farquaad quickly recovered and swung his sword in an upper motion, causing a wave of darkness to shoot towards Spongebob, but the sponge quickly dodged out of the way and cast Aerora to send a blast of wind into Farquaad's chest and knock him back. He had then stood up and called Heartless into the battle. The Shadows and Archers swarmed around them all, making the small ruler laugh. "Hahaha! Yes, my pets. Destroy these pitiful knaves along with that wretched ogre, Fiona!"

Spongebob vanquished a few Heartless with his magic, and Patrick tried to clear out a drove of them with his shields. But the Heartless only grew in numbers and had started close in on them. Kioku desperately swatted away at the Heartless. "Damn! There are too many!"

Spongebob shouted. "Call in the dragon!"

Shrek then whistled. The dragon burst in from the window and ate Farquaad in one bite. Donkey stood on top of the dragon. "Nobody move! I got a dragon and I'm not afraid to use it!" With a few swipes of it's claws, the Heartless were obliterated. The presence of the dragon caused all of the people of Duloc to flee the church.

Soon, after everything was calm Shrek and Fiona found themselves staring at each other. Kioku nudged Shrek, "Go on."

Shrek chuckled and nodded. "Fiona?"

"Yes, Shrek?" Fiona smiled. "I..I love you.." Shrek admitted.

"Really?" Fiona smiled brightly. Shrek nodded. "Really, Really."

Fiona blushed. "I love you too." They both then shared a kiss, resulting in Fiona staying in her ogre form."I just have to ask one thing." Shrek said to Fiona. "What made you reveal your true form in front of everyone?"

Fiona giggled and nodded to Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick. "Those three gave me the courage to do so."

Kioku chuckled, and looked up. The keyhole appeared in the church's stained glass window. Kioku pointed his Keyblade at the lock and sealed it with a beam, a loud clicking sound being heard afterwards.

"So, Kioku, what now?" Shrek asked.

"We gotta get going." Kioku smiled. "We're on a quest of our own."

"Well, here," Shrek handed Kioku a keychain. "Thanks for everything."

"No problem." Patrick smiled. Donkey jumped down from the dragon and began to sob.

"Oh no, Kioku! Please don't go! Spongebob, Patrick! Can't you just stay for the party?!"

"I'm afraid not," Kioku chuckled and kneeled down to pet Donkey. "We'll be back. We promise."

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick turned to leave. Kioku waved back at them, "You two play nice, now."

Shrek blushed and shouted back. "Watch it you!" Just as Kioku and the others were about to leave the church, everything went black all of a sudden. The sound of a Corridor of Darkness opening echoed. Fiona's screams could be heard as she was being taken away. "Help! Shrek! Kioku! Ahhh!"

Everyone gasped in fear. Kioku spun around. "Fiona!"

The light returned and Fiona was no where to be found. Shrek dropped to his knees and Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick ran up to him. "Fiona..she's.."

Kioku nodded. "Don't worry, Shrek. We know who did it. We promise that we'll get her back, okay."

Shrek looked up and nodded. "Please, find her and bring her back safely, lad." Kioku nodded back and then he, Spongebob and Patrick ran out of the church and raced to the Gummi Ship.

* * *

 _ **{OBTAINED:**_ _ **Swamp Rot: ATK 6 | MAG 4**_

 _ **Special Ability: Critical Damage when HP is low}**_

* * *

 ** _-Lanes in Between-_**

Spongebob stretched his limbs. "Whoo, what a long trip!"

Kioku yawned. "Yeah, I think we overstayed our welcome a bit."

Spongebob shook his head, "I wouldn't think so. This world's time may flow differently then others.

"Someone stole Fiona from Shrek." Patrick pondered. "How come?"

"Heck, I dunno." Kioku shrugged. "But all I know is, they're gonna regret that they ever did take her." Kioku said as he clenched his fist.

"That scam of a quest has put us off a little bit, let's make haste and get back to finding the other keyholes." Spongebob ordered. Kioku then blasted off to another world, ready to continue his journey to seal the keyholes and find Taiyo.

* * *

 ** _-?:?-_**

Vlad and his villains waited for someone return with another princess. A Corridor of Darkness opened up and he arrived with an unconscious Fiona. Vlad smiled malevolently. "Good job." Vicky clapped at the boy. "You did good, Yoru. While someone else was too busy trying to get people in worlds to do their bidding."

"Quite you wench! If i recall correctly, you did the same thing!" Bowser growled.

"Yeah, but I was about to actually have them dead until that stupid hag went and got beat up and faded into darkness. But I gotta hand it to you, that Heartless you cooked up was pretty cool. Too bad they obliterated it too soon before they could bask in the spotlight." Vicky teased. Bowser growled angrily and got ready to approach Vicky, but was stopped by Vlad.

"I did my part." Yoru said. "I brought you the princess, right?"

"Yes, what truly matters is that Yoru did his part." Vlad said. "And I'll hold up the end of my bargain."

"Huh?" Yoru said, looking at Vlad.

Vicky nudged him. "We've got a treat for you." She winked.

"You helped us. And now, your wish has come true.." Vlad said. A glowing image of Taiyo appearing in the middle of the table. Yoru's eyes grew big.

"Taiyo!" He exclaimed. "Go to her, my boy. Your vessel waits." Vlad said.

Ganondorf folded his arms. "I had great pleasure in commandeering an old battleship. It will be used to take you to Taiyo. But, this won't be a smooth voyage either so be on your toes."

Yoru scoffed. "Why are you doing all of this for me? Is there any catch I'm unaware of?"

"Catch?" Vlad said. "What's the catch?"

He walked up to Yoru and put his hand on his head. "My boy. You're like a son to me, I want to make you happy."

Yoru pushed Vlad's hand away. "Yeah right," He turned around and started to walk out.

"Where are you going?" Ganondorf's voice boomed.

"We aren't leaving just yet." Yoru said. "There's still something I have to do."

* * *

 _ **-Winslow's Journal-**_

 _ ***Lord Farquaad:** The ruler of Duloc. He sent Kioku and Shrek on a quest to rescue Princess Fiona from a dreadful castle in order for him to become king and rule over his kingdom. He used the Heartless as an attempt to purge the fairytale creatures. Even though he wasn't at all skilled in combat, he still tried to put up a fight against Kioku but failed miserably. **He was a short-lived meal for Dragon in "Shrek" (2001).**  
_

 _ ***Princess Fiona:** A beautiful princess filled with light. After arriving in Duloc, she reveals her true form as an ogre to both Shrek and the people of Duloc, thus enraging Farquaad. After Kioku's battle against the tiny ruler, she makes up with Shrek but is soon kidnapped by an unidentified enemy. **She revealed her big secret in "Shrek" (2001).**  
_

 _ ***Dragon:** A female dragon who used to reside in a dreadful castle. At first, she antagonistic towards Kioku and the others as they tried to infiltrate her castle and rescue Fiona. But after meeting Donkey, all of that changed. She returns to help them reach Duloc and crash the wedding. **She was an unlikely friend in "Shrek" (2001).** _

_**-Heartless-**_

 _ ***Ruler of the Skies:** A gigantic Heartless summoned by Bowser. Ruler of the Skies tries to stop Kioku and friends by attacking Dragon, which would in turn take them out of the air. But luckily, Kioku and Shrek defeat the Heartless and leave Bowser an angry mess.  
_


	17. Chapter 16: The Atomic Plan

**Chapter 16: The Atomic Plan  
**

 ** _-Polk Middle School: Lobby-_**

 **(Field Theme: Surviving Middle School)**

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick arrived in a what seemed to be a school. Lockers, water fountains and doors labeled after specific school subjects. Yeah, it was school. Kioku groaned, as he had hated school very much. "Oh man, don't tell me that we've got to go to class..." Kioku groaned as he hung his head.

"Go to class?" Spongebob laughed. "Haha, Kioku of course we're not going to class!"

"Are the Heartless roaming around in this world too?" Patrick wondered. Kioku scratched his head. "Well, there a lot of people in school. A lot of hearts. So, yeah. Heartless are here."

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick were startled as the bell had suddenly rung, meaning that class was over. The halls soon filled with a sea of kids walking to their other classes. Kioku turned to Spongebob and Patrick. "Act normal, okay?" Spongebob and Patrick nodded and they quickly walked down the halls. As they walked, they got strange looks from the other kids. Mostly because they weren't from around here. They soon heard screams, and the kids in the hallway scattered away. Shadows has emerged from the ground and were attacking the children.

 _ **(Battle Theme: Dangers of Middle School)**_

"D-Don't panic!" Spongebob tried to tell the kids, but they already running away before he could get to talk to them. "Tartar sauce! We can't let these kids get harmed!"

Kioku summoned his Keyblade and dashed at the Shadows and made quick work of them. More Shadows emerged from the ground and pranced towards Kioku and his partners. Spongebob raised his staff into the air and used a Thundera spell to obliterate the remaining Heartless. After the brief battle, the halls remained quiet for a while.

"Hey!" A kid shouted, running up to Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick, along with another kid, who wore glasses and sported a small afro.

"What's up?" Kioku said, greeting the two kids. "So, the rumors are true right?" The kid asked. "Monsters really are inside of the school and appear when there's a big group of kids around."

"Rumors?" Patrick asked. "There's rumors about the Heartless?"

The kid with the glasses nodded, "Yeah, we heard about it from our friend, Gordy."

"Know anything else about it?" Spongebob asked. "Nope." The kid shook his head. "By the way, I'm Ned Bigby. And this brainiac over here is Cookie,"

"I'm Kioku," The teen introduced himself. "and these two are Spongebob and Patrick." Rumors must have been circulating around the school about the Heartless. And apparently some kid named Gordy knows about them. "Say, you mind taking us to see this Gordy guy?" Kioku asked.

Ned nodded. "Sure. Gordy said that he needed to see me and Cookie anyways. Oh, he's the janitor here, by the way."

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick recoiled in shock. "You're friends with the janitor?" Spongebob asked, giving the two boys a strange look.

"That's weird." Kioku chuckled. "Ehh..you've got a point." Cookie said, chuckling also.

The five of them then walked to the janitor's closet to see Gordy.

* * *

 ** _-Polk Middle School: Janitor's Closet-_**

Ned knocked on the door. The door swung open and someone pulled the five inside. "Come in, quickly!"

The door slammed shut and Gordy looked at them all eagerly. "What's going on Gordy?" Ned asked, wondering why Gordy pulled them all in with such haste.

Gordy looked around. "I heard that the rumors are true. Those monsters really do appear!"

"Yeah! We came here just for that reason." Cookie said. "These three, Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick, are here to ask about those monsters."

"Ohhh, I've heard about you three.." Gordy said, pointing at the three.

"You have?" Kioku's heart jumped. "What did you hear about us?"

"Yeah. There's some 'new' science teacher here, his name is Dr. Calamitous." Gordy started. "I heard him and another scientific madman, Mr. Sweeney, talking about those monsters. The 'Heartless' they call them. Calamitous also talked about you three."

"What did he say?" Spongebob gulped. Gordy continued. "He said that if Sweeney sees you three, DO NOT try to fight them. I hear that you guys have a specific kind of magic that's highly dangerous for a place like this."

"You're not too far off." Kioku said as he remembered the destructive the Keyblade's magic can be in world's with no magic. "Well, it sounds like the scientist guy is working with Vlad. And just like Vicky and Bowser, he's using a local resident to help cause trouble in this world." Patrick explained.

"Um.." Ned said, confused by Patrick's explanation.

"Patrick has those 'smart moments' from time to time. It's crazy." Kioku said. "But what he says is true. Dr. Calamitous is working with an evil guy named Vlad. And it seems that he arrived in this world to try and plunge it into darkness. And I think Mr. Sweeney might be in on it too."

Cookie nearly squealed in horror. "That sounds horrible! I always knew Sweeney was evil, but now this really takes the cake!"

"What are we gonna do about this?" Ned asked. Gordy laughed, "Have no fear, children. I've got a plan."

Kioku folded his arms and gave Gordy his attention, "Okay, let's hear it." Spongebob, Patrick, Ned and Cookie gave Gordy their attention too."Alright. Have you guys ever heard of the rumor of the Atomic Flush?" Gordy asked. They all shook their heads. Gordy continued. "Well, legend says that if you flush every single toilet at the exact same time. It creates such septic pressure and it makes the whole building hop up into the air!"

"Your point?" Spongebob asked. "Well, the Heartless may be vulnerable to the pressure. Once the pressure starts, the monstrous fiends may be forced to the ground and they might just explode into itty bitty darkness pieces. That'll get rid of any and all Heartless running around the school!" Gordy explained. "But, it can't be done." he sighed.

"Why not?" Patrick asked. "Sweeney. Every year, when some idiot spreads the rumor of the Atomic Flush, he some how finds out about it and shuts it down. Gordy lowered his head. "And no one ever asks me for help."

"Well, we are!" Ned cheered. "The Atomic Flush is a go!"

Gordy smiled and took out a large blueprint of the plan. "Good, because if you didn't like the plan. That means I would've made this poster in vain." The janitor chuckled. He set it down on the table and they started to review the plan. "So, we have to flush every single toilet at once?" Kioku said, pointing the poster.

"Yup," Gordy nodded. "The most important one is in the Teacher's Lounge."

"That's where all the waterlines meet." Ned added. "Synchronize your watches, because at 3:20, it's Atomic Flush time!"

The bell rung, which meant that it was time for lunch. "Now, you two get to lunch." Gordy instructed Ned and Cookie. "Me, Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick will go around the school and clean up any Heartless wandering around." Gordy ordered.

"But," Cookie started. "We want to fight monsters too!" Kioku chuckled. "Well, we're the ones capable of defeating the Heartless. It'd be best if you two kept out of harm's way until 3:20."

Ned and Cookie sighed. "Alright, we'll go." Ned groaned. Gordy handed Ned the plans to the Atomic Flush. "Here, take this and put it in your locker. Now, hurry and get to lunch before Sweeney suspects something!"

Ned took the plans and then left to class with Cookie. Kioku looked up at Gordy, "Now, let's get going."

"Right." Gordy nodded. "Let's go clear out those Heartless."

* * *

 ** _-Polk Middle School: Hallways-_**

Two scientists slowly walked the halls and talked quietly among themselves. Sweeney and Calamitious.

"Well, did it work, did anything benefit from the Heartless attack from earlier?" Dr. Calamitous asked, looking up at the taller science teacher. Sweeney shook his head. "Well, no." Sweeney replied.

"What do you mean, 'no'?" Dr. Calamitous yelled. "Didn't I ask you to unleash the Heartless into the school? It's the only way for them to find the core to this world and sink it into darkness! And the first step is to get rid of those unruly children."

"I know, I know!" Sweeney said, putting his hands up in defense. "I did do that. But you see, the kids were talking about three..um..'dorky' looking persons fighting them off!"

Calamitous rubbed his chin. "Kioku and..um...the king's guards.." he muttered. "Well listen here, Sweeney. Do you remember what I told you?"

"Yes. If you come in contact with the key bearer and his partners, do not fight them. As their magic doesn't belong in a world such as this one." Sweeney recited Calamitous' words.

"Good," The small scientist nodded. He then pondered the idea about a second attempt. Sweeney then eyed a folded posterboard sticking out of someone's locker. Curious, he walked up to it and snatched it out.

He opened it up and gave it a look. His eyes grew big. "Atomic Flush. Heartless Extermination Plan?" Sweeney read out loud. He then looked at the locker number. "This is Ned Bigby's locker,"

Calamitous gasped and looked up at the teacher. "Did I hear something about a 'Heartless Extermination Plan?"

Sweeney handed Calamitous the blueprint. "See it for yourself." Calamitous read it over, he growled. "The boy and the king's guard must've already met with that Bigby kid."

"And by the looks of it, he's met that despicable janitor, Gordy also. They must have constructed this plan to get rid of the Heartless." Sweeney explained. Calamitous shouted in anger and threw the poster down and stomped on it. "We have to act quickly. Their plan will begin at 3:20, what time is it now?" Calamitous asked.

Sweeney checked his watch. "About...2:25."

"We don't have enough time, we must act quickly!" Calamitous said, pacing back and forth. "The children having lunch in the cafeteria, right?"

Sweeney nodded. Calamitous laughed. "Perfect. All of the students can be eliminated at once." The small evil scientist said. "What I need you to do, is to ...uh..erm..enter the cafeteria and summon the strongest Heartless you can imagine. That way, it'll make due of all the students, so that their uh...eh..ermm..plan can't carried out. Then I'll summon more and more Heartless until this world is oozing darkness!"

Sweeney laughed, "Sounds like a plan! Then the key bearer and the janitor won't have anyone to execute the atomic flush with."

"But hear my words, Sweeney." Calamitous said grimly, "If you fail me once again, I'll uh..ermm.. do the rest myself and leave you in this world to sink into the ...eh..darkness with it."

"Y-Yes, sir." Sweeney nodded. "Now go!" Calamitous ordered.

* * *

 ** _-Polk Middle School: Cafeteria-_**

Ned and Cookie sat at the table with all their friends surrounding them. They talked about the Atomic Flush. "So, with the Heartless running around the school. Do you really think the Atomic Flush will take out all the Heartless like Gordy said?" Cookie asked.

"Of course. I'm pretty sure that with Kioku and his partners on the job, it'll definitely turn out fine. Just stay cool." Ned said. "Stay cool..got it.." Cookie muttered to himself. "Hm..too bad Mose is sick today."

Ned nodded in agreement and continued to eat his lunch.

Meanwhile, Sweeney entered into the cafeteria stealthily. He stood by the doors and leaned against the wall casually, trying to not get suspected by anyone who knew that he and Calamitous were working together. Ned looked over by the doors. "Hey, isn't that Sweeney?"

Cookie turned around and looked. "Yeah, I wonder what he's planning."

Sweeney took his hand out of his pocket and tapped the wall softly. The room has began to shake, the lights flickered and the tension grew thick. A large, mechanic looking Heartless called, 'The Experiment', formed in the middle of the Cafeteria.

The Experiment was a large, mechanized Heartless that it is made up of a wide mixture of objects. Its body is large, funnel-shaped, and head three curled spikes lining its outer edge. Its lower body is much smaller and is apparently made of an upside-down skull, with the eye sockets acting as its hip joints. Its legs are relatively thin and short and end in feet comprised of two small wheels, each with two white spikes on their sides. Its left shoulder is decorated by a faded green spiral and the arm is a bellowed tube that ends in a spiky clamp. Its right arm in bulkier and ends in a massive, elaborate, three-pronged claw.

Its neck is long and thin and its head is long and capsule-shaped. Its eyes are black with very small, glowing yellow pupils, its mouth is filled with sharp teeth, and there are several twisted pieces of metal resembling "hair". Because it is made entirely out of various pieces of metal, it is predominantly colored in dark, faded shades of grey, white, and silver. The Heartless emblem was branded on it's chest.

The Experiment had began to cause trouble as the children scattered in horror. Ned had pulled Cookie under the table and had began to take cover. Sweeney quietly exited the cafeteria and used a dark seal to lock the doors shut and prevent anyone from exiting or entering. Checking to see if anyone witnessed him, he quickly made a run for it.

* * *

 ** _-Polk Middle School: Hallways 2-_**

Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick and Gordy ran down the halls. The sounds of loud and horrified screaming could be heard from all the way down the hall. "What could that be?" the boy asked.

"I don't know, but It definitely doesn't sound like fun Kioku, I'll tell ya that." Gordy said, looking left and right in suspicion. Suddenly, they heard rapid footsteps coming down the hallway. Sweeney then rushed passed them in a matter of seconds. Kioku turned around and shouted. "Hey, stop!"

"Oh that Sweeney, I know he's up to no good!" Gordy glared, "Go check out the cafeteria and see what all the commotion is, I'll go and stop Sweeney!"

"Got it." Kioku nodded. The four parted ways. Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick headed down the hallway leading to the cafeteria.

* * *

 ** _-Polk Middle School: Cafeteria-_**

Kioku tried to shove the door open, but he was shoved back as the door rejected his entry. "What the..?"

The door was emitting huge amounts of dark energy, and it seemed that it prevented anyone from coming in and getting out. "Tartar sauce! That Sweeney must've locked this door so that we can't get in!" Spongebob exclaimed. Patrick took a look inside. He gasped at the sight of something horrible.

"What is it, Patrick?" Kioku asked. Patrick turned around. "A Heartless is inside the cafeteria with all of the kids!" Patrick said, his face projecting shock.

Kioku shouted as he summoned his Keyblade in a flash of light, "Stand back!" He aimed his Keyblade at the door and shot a beam of light at it. The light washed away the darkness and unlocked the door. "Now!" Kioku barged into the cafeteria, followed by Spongebob and Patrick.

Once they got inside, All of the kids were far away from the Heartless so that they couldn't get hurt. Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick got in a stance as the Heartless got ready to attack. "Time to take this Heartless down!

* * *

 _ **(Battle Theme: Shrouding Dark Cloud)**_

The Experiment used it's vacuum to pull the three of them closer to it. They tried everything in their power to keep their feet planted, but they were pulled in at a fast rate. The Heartless then fired laser beams from mouth and knocked them back into the students. One of the students shouted, "Whoa! That thing looked powerful! Say, weird looking kid with the abnormally sized key, do you think you can take it?"

Kioku stood up to his feet, "Of course I can.." The Experiment then split itself into four parts. It's head, it's torso and skull head, it's claw hand and vacuum hand. Kioku sighed."And now you want to be complicated?" He shook his head.

The torso spun towards Kioku at top speed, Kioku acted fast and dodge rolled out of the way. Spongebob took on the head. The head shot laser beams at the sponge, but he retaliated with destructive bubbles and strong offensive magic.

Patrick fought both of the arms. He ducked as the claw swiped at him, and jumped when the vacuum slammed itself on the ground near the starfish to create a shockwave. Patrick pummeled the arms with his shields and delivered another punch to the vacuum arm. He dismissed his weapons and grabbed the claw and started to attack the vacuum with it. He then used to claw to capture the vacuum, and he tossed it towards the torso.

As Kioku was attacking the torso, the vacuum slammed into the torso and reconnected. Almost immediately, the torso thrusts it's vacuum arm at Kioku, who didn't manage to dodge it in time and took a painful blow to the chest, which made the boy fly backwards and hit the floor.

The head chased Spongebob frantically. Once the sponge saw that his friend was in trouble, he rushed over with the floating head chasing him. The head sped up immensely as it was going to attack, but Spongebob dodged out of the way and the head collided with the torso and vacuum arm instead, merging with them. Spongebob blew the Heartless away with an Aerora spell, making it fly towards Patrick. "Patrick, keep it busy while I heal Kioku!"

"Got it!" Patrick turned around and smacked with Heartless with it's own claw arm, making it merge with it's body.

"Heal!" Spongebob chanted as he replenished Kioku's strength with a Cura spell. Kioku stood up and looked at the Heartless, which was now put back together. Patrick ran to Kioku and Spongebob's side.

"Let's take this thing to the scrap heap!" Spongebob said, getting into a stance with his staff.

"You said it!" Kioku smirked. The three leaped into the air and sliced through the Heartless, defeating it.

The Heartless split into three pieces right before disappearing into dark mist. The kids cheered and clapped for the three heroes as they had saved their lives and their hearts. Ned and Cookie ran up to them.

"Kioku! Spongebob! Patrick! You guys are amazing!" Ned cheered.

"Seeing you three flip around and kick that Heartless's butt really made me happy!" Cookie jumped and down. The rest of the students were just excited as Ned and Cookie. "So, did you guys get enough people for the Atomic Flush?" Patrick asked.

Ned looked around, seeing all of the students who were now eager to be in on the operation. "Look's like we've got ourselves a team!"

"Great," Kioku turned towards the large body of students. "Meet us in Gordy's closet in a little bit so that we can get started. The kids cheered and ran out of the lunchroom and into the hallways.

"We should go meet up with Gordy," Ned suggested.

* * *

 ** _-Polk Middle School: Gordy's Closet-_**

Everyone regrouped back to Gordy's closet after leaving the cafeteria. "Did you catch Sweeney?" Kioku asked.

Gordy shook his head sadly. "The fiend got away before I could even give him my heroic speech of bravery." He sighed.

"Well, he tried to wipe out the entire student body by using the Heartless." Spongebob said. "Luckily, we arrived in time to defeat it."

"Yeah," Cookie nodded. "They were all like _**POW POW**_! And the Heartless was all like _**PEW PEW PEW**_! But Kioku was like _**SLASH SLASH CHING!**_ " Cookie exclaimed. Everyone looked at him like blank expressions. "Oh...sorry.." Cookie said softly.

"Anyways," Kioku rolled his eyes. "We've got a huge team of students who're ready to work on the operation with us."

Gordy clasped his hands. "Great work gentleman, splendid." He checked his watch and gasped. "It's almost time,"

They all looked at each other. "Ned, Cookie, go round up all of the kids and bring 'em back here so that we can view the plans one more time." Gordy ordered, making the two boys quickly exit the closet and rush down the halls. "Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick..."

"...Let's get ready to exterminate the Heartless.." Gordy smiled.

* * *

 ** _(Meanwhile)_**

"You imbecile!" Calamitous shouted. "Do you have...uh..any idea what you've done?" Sweeney flinched in fear as the small scientist chewed him out.

"You've let those three morons get the upper hand!" Calamitous ranted. "Now we only have...erm...uh..A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME BEFORE THEY UNLEASH THE ATOMIC FLUSH!"

Sweeney shrugged, "Well, I've tried to wipe all of the kids out with the Heartless I called-"

"But you failed! I give you one simple task and you fail!" Calamitous shouted. "Vicky was surely right, never trust a local to do a true villain's job.."

"Please! Give me one final chance," Sweeney fell to his knees. "I'll make sure those three are as good as gone!" Sweeney plead. "Just don't leave me here to drown in the darkness!"

Calamitous looked down at Sweeney and rolled his eyes. He sighed, "One more chance.."

Sweeney hopped up to his feet. "Thank you!"

"BUT," Calamitous started. "Erm..you fail me again..and I'll destroy you myself..."

Sweeney nodded and took off into the hallways to find Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick.

* * *

 ** _(Later)_**

The large team of kids had come to the Gordy's to go over the mission to exterminate the Heartless. "Ladies and Gentleman. We are about to embark on the greatest adventure of our lives." Cookie announced.

"We'll go down in Polk history as the kids who both lifted the school off of the ground, and saved the school from the Heartless." He went on. Kioku and the others passed out walkie talkies to the students. Soon, they heard banging on the door. "Open up the door!" Sweeney yelled from the outside.

Kioku whispered to Ned, "what's the password?"

"The weasel runs at night." Ned whispered. The teen yelled through the door, "What's the password?"

"Password?" Sweeney said. "Uh..the weavel runs a night?"

"Nope! Sorry." Kioku said, imitating a buzzer noise.

Sweeney tried again. "The diesel burns alight!"

"Nope." Kioku said quickly. Sweeney grunted angrily. "Nevermind! The Atomic Flush will not happen!"

Footsteps were heard leaving, they all sighed with relief. "Look, Sweeney and Calamitous can't stop us unless we band together and flush together," Kioku said to everyone. "Now, half of you get to the toilets, and the other half will help us in case Sweeney or Calamitous tries to attack."

"We'll be heading to the Teacher's lounge, where the most important toilet is." Patrick said.

Everyone then moved out and went to their positions.

* * *

 ** _-Polk Middle School: Hallways-_**

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick ran through the halls, hastily making their way to the teacher's lounge. Soon, a group of Heartless appeared and halted their movement. Sweeney came out from around the corner and greeted them. "Good Evening, Mr. Keybearer," Sweeney bowed lightly. "We never really got a chance to meet face to face. My name is Mr. Sweeney and I teach science here at Polk Middle School."

He went on, "I understand that you three are new here, but we don't allow running in the halls." Sweeney grinned. Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick got into a stance with their weapons.

"Well, we're about to be late for an important class. So it would help if you'd get outta our way." Kioku shouted. The dark aura wisped around Sweeney, he raised his arms. "Well, it appears that you just won yourselves a permanent spot in detention!" Sweeney laughed. Countless amounts of Heartless emerged from the floor, more than the three could handle.

Spongebob gasped. "There's too many!"

Kioku smiled and whistled. And soon, a horde of kids flooded the halls, all wielding plungers and started to fight the Heartless. Surprisingly, they were able to take them on quite easily. Sweeney growled, "The Atomic Flush will not happen!"

All of the kids grouped around Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick. Sweeney summoned more and more Heartless. "All right, CHARGE!" Kioku commanded, pointing his Keyblade at the science teacher. All of the kids ran at the Heartless and began attacking. As Sweeney was too busy fending off the students, Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick hurried to the Teacher's Lounge.

* * *

 ** _-Polk Middle School: Teacher's Lounge-_**

Kioku and the gang burst into the lounge and saw Gordy waiting for them. "Did you deal with Sweeney?" Gordy asked.

"Yup, the second half are dealing with him as we speak." Kioku nodded. "Perfect," Gordy rubbed his hands together. They got a call on their walkie talkie.

The boy answered. "Kioku here, what's your status?"

Ned reported. "Everyone's in their positions and we're ready to flush!"

"Great, we're in the Teacher's lounge and we're ready to flush!" Kioku said. They all walked up to the bathroom and attempted to open the door, but it was locked. "Huh?" Gordy said, confusingly. "I had thought I left this door unlocked." They then heard maniacal laughter from they inside.

"You thought you've won when you dealt with that pitful scientist, Sweeney. But you still have to..erm..uh...deal with me!" Calamitous shouted. Spongebob checked the time and gasped. "Kioku! The countdown is about to start!"

"And we don't have a toilet to flush!" Patrick whined. "Don't tell me it's the end.." Gordy slumped his head over.

Kioku summoned his Keyblade and stood back.

 _10..._

He pointed his Keyblade at the door and unlocked the door with a small beam Calamitous gasped in the inside.

 _9..._

 _8..._

They all rushed in and ambushed Calamitous. The small scientist tried to fight back as they restrained him.

"No! You will not defeat me!" He yelled.

7...

6...

5...

Kioku grabbed onto the handle. "This is it!"

4...

3...

2...

1...

"It's over!"

All of the toilets were flushed in perfect synchronization. The building shook as if an earthquake was going on. Kioku looked at his friends. "Book it!"

Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick and Gordy hurried out of the lounge and into the hallway. Calamitous stood up and brushed himself off.

"How dare they-"

He was cut off by the intensity of the quake. And soon the school jumped into the air, and the little scientist was rocketed out of the building along with the toilet.

"CUUURSEE YOUUU!" his voice fading out as he went farther into the sky.

* * *

 ** _-Polk Middle School: Lobby-_**

In the end, everyone met up in the lobby of the school. "We lifted the school into the air, saved the school from heart eating monsters," Ned said. He looked at Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick. "And it was all thanks to you guys."

The three chuckled. "Eh, don't give us all the credit. We needed you guys to pull this off too!" Kioku smiled.

"Without you all, the Atomic Flush wouldn't have been carried out, and this world would be lost in the darkness." Spongebob said. "Thank you!"

"No, Thank you!" Cookie said, handing Kioku a keychain. "I hope you find some good use for this!"

Kioku nodded. Then a keyhole appeared in the air. The teen aimed his Keyblade at it and sealed it with a small beam. A loud locking sound was heard afterwards. Patrick waved. "We'll be seeing you."

"Where are you going?" Gordy asked.

"We've got to get back to our journey." Kioku answered. "We have to hurry though,"

"Oh, well. Good luck you guys!" Ned said. The three heroes waved and left the building.

 _ **(Item Get: Guide to Survival**_

 _ **ATK: 7 | MAG: 6**_

 _ **Ability: Once More)**_

* * *

 _ **-Winslow's Journal-  
**_

 _ ***Ned Bigby:** A _very outgoing and funny middle schooler. He's anxious to make it through middle school and somewhat lazy in classes, but gives the best advice to anyone who needs it. _**He wrote the book on surviving middle school in "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide (2004)".**_

 _ ***Cookie:** A cyber genius and is usually involved in some kind of technological fix. He sometimes ends up being way too attached to his computers, relying on them for nearly everything. **He was tech-savvy in**_ _ **"Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide (2004)".**_

 _ ***Gordy:** A lazy janitor who is well known among the students of Polk Middle School. He's good friends with Ned and his friends and is always willing to help them with their various schemes, and even helps Kioku fight off Heartless in the school. **He was always willing to lend a helping hand in**_ _ **"Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide (2004)".**_

 _ ***Mr. Sweeney:** An evil science teacher who tries to work with Calamitous to foil the Atomic Flush. In the end, he was defeated by the students. **He was hard on Ned and his friends, but wasn't truly antagonistic in**_ _ **"Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide (2004)".**_

 _ ***Professor Calamitous:**_ _A_ _tiny, near-sighted, eccentric, old genius, who is one of the most brilliant evil minds from his world, and he would be more dangerous if he didn't have the bad habit of never finishing what he starts. However, he appeared in Polk Middle School to team up with Mr. Sweeney and unleash Heartless after the students after finding out about the Atomic Flush. In the end, he was launched out of the world itself after the Atomic Flush was carried out. **He was a forgetful scientist in "The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2002)".**  
_


	18. Chapter 17: Two Hearts, One Vessel

_**Chapter 17: Two Hearts, One Vessel  
**_

* * *

 ** _-Tranquil County: Grassy Hilltop-_**

 _"Really! I saw it with my own eyes!" An eager Kioku jumped up and down. He and Yoru rested on the and watched the big train go by, discussing something Kioku supposedly saw_

 _"You sure you didn't just hear it this time?" Yoru asked._

 _"There's a huge, huge monster inside of our old treehouse, Yoru!"_

 _Yoru sat up, "Okay, suppose there is a monster. Will we be able to beat it by ourselves, Kioku?"_

 _Kioku gave a cheesy grin, "Of course we can! When the two of us are teamed up, nothing could ever stop us!"_

 _Yoru cracked a small smile and shook his head. Kioku then stood up and tugged Yoru's arm._

 _"K-Kioku!"_

 _"C'mon, let's go to the treehouse and fight the monster!" Kioku tugged and tugged. Yoru sighed._

 _"Fine..."_

 _They quickly ran to their treehouse, where the monster Kioku talked about resided. Kioku and Yoru looked up._

 _"Do you hear it growling?!" Kioku pointed. "Shh.."_

 _They both listened for growling._

 _"We've got to be careful, or we'll get eaten up."_

* * *

 _-Tranquil County: Big Treehouse-_

 _"See, it was just the wood creaking." Yoru said._

 _"Aww, I thought it was a monster!" Kioku slumped over. Yoru then looked over to the door on the other side._

 _"What's that?" he asked. "That door's never been here, has it?"_

 _Yoru walked up to it and tried to push it over, but it wouldn't budge. Kioku folded his arms._

 _"No wonder why we ditched this place." Kioku sighed. "It used to be fun here."_

 _"Well, what do you expect from a boring place like this?" Yoru said. He turned to Kioku._

 _"Kioku,"_

 _"Hm?"_

 _"When we grow up, let's leave this town." Yoru said. "We'll go on real adventures, not run around and pretend to fight invisible monsters. We'll use real swords and not those dumb wooden swords our parents made us."_

 _As they were leaving the tree house, the chatted some more._

 _"Isn't there anything fun to do while we're here?" Kioku asked._

 _"There's a new girl at the mayor's house." Yoru said. "Let's go see if she'll play with us."_

* * *

 ** _-Lanes in Between-_**

"Kioku!" Spongebob shouted, shaking the boy out of his daydream. The boy flinched and shook his head. "What is it?"

"We're getting ready to land." The sponge announced. "Be ready for anything."

"Oh..okay.." The teen said softly. Patrick looked back at Kioku. "Kioku, are you okay?" Patrick asked concerningly.

"Yeah, " Kioku nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm fine."

* * *

 ** _-Wind-Up Castle: Entrance Hall-_**

 ** _(Field Theme: Castle In a Music Box)_**

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick then arrived in what seemed to be a foyer to a castle. They looked around. "Hey this is a castle, right?" the teen asked.

Spongebob and Patrick looked around for conformation. "Yup, it looks like it is." Spongebob confirmed. "Why'd you ask?" Patrick asked.

Kioku put his hand to his heart. "For some reason, when I think of a castle. I feel some type of nostalgia.."

"Have you been here before?" Spongebob asked. Kioku shook his head, "No." He answered.

"Well, we can't afford to stand here for any longer," Spongebob said. "We have to find the keyhole of this world, and who knows if Vlad or any one of his other flunkies are here causing trouble."

"Yeah, you're right. Let's go." Kioku agreed. Suddenly, the three were startled by something that was hurled towards them. "Look out!" Spongebob yelled as they all hopped out of the way as a large block of treasure crashed next to them. Kioku knelt down only to see that what had hurled towards him was a potion.

"A potion?" The boy muttered as he picked up the potion. He looked up the the top of the stairs and saw more and more treasure flying towards them. "Look out," Kioku yelled. The three moved out of the way as the blocks of treasure crashed on the floor. Spongebob put his hands on his hips and huffed. "Hey, cut it out will ya!" He yelled, shaking his fist.

Peeking out from the top of the stairs was an orange cat. "A cat?" Patrick tilted his head. "

"Who the heck are those guys, Dog?" the cat said. Then a dog, with a big purple nose came out from hiding.

"Gee Cat, I don't have a clue."

"A cat and dog?" Kioku said confusingly.

Spongebob squinted his eyes, "They don't seem to be from this world at all, could their world-" He gasped. "Holy fishpaste!"

Winslow hopped out of Kioku's hood, "Well, If I ain't father of a whale! It's CatDog!"

In Dog's mouth is what looked like a gummi block. Kioku pointed.

"Whatcha got there?" He asked.

"Quick Dog, let's make a run for it!" Cat said. Cat and Dog then ran away into another hall. Winslow hopped up and down.

"Whatta ya waitin' for, let's go after 'em!" WInslow shouted.

Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick and Winslow then headed up and the stairs and into the hallway CatDog went into.

* * *

 ** _-_ _Wind-Up Castle: West Hall-_**

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick ran until they saw a girl with horns on her talking with CatDog.

"Wow, what do you have there, Kitty-Puppy?" The girl asked innocently.

Dog spit out the Gummi Block. "Maybe with this, you'll be able to work some magic and get us out of here, Eureeka."

"Hmm..with a mysterious block like this? You really think so?" She asked.

Kioku interrupted them. "It's possible."

They turned to face Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick, who were approaching them. "How'd you end up here, CatDog?" He asked.

"Kitty-Puppy?" The girl squeaked. "Their world was swallowed up by the darkness, and they ended up here with me and Magellan. I've tried to use my sorcery to create a portal for them to get to another world called Daybreak Town. That's where most people go when their world has being destroyed."

She kneeled down and pet CatDog. "But since I'm still practicing my magic, I could never create the portal correctly. So I've decided to keep them here as my pet until my magic is strong enough to create a proper portal."

The girl smiled. "I'm sorry. I'm name is Eureeka, and I'm a sorceress-in-training."

"I'm Kioku. These two are Spongebob and Patrick." The boy said, introducing himself and his friends. Winslow popped out again. "I'm Winslow T. Oddfellow, and I know CatDog because I lived with them before out world went _KABLAM_!"

Cat smiled. "Winslow, my boy! It really is you!"

"Is that so?" Eureeka said. "Forgive me for asking, but that makes you three outsiders, too?"

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick flinched. Eureeka went on.

"That weapon you hold, a Keyblade?" She asked. "It's a truly remarkable weapon, but as the key bearer it is said that you're not to meddle in the affairs of other though the Keyblade is weapon of awesome power and magic. It brings ruin and shatters peace, at least that's what I've heard." She explained.

Kioku folded his arms stubbornly. "Aaw, are you kidding?" Spongebob laughed. "Kioku's not like that, he's been saving worlds from monsters that threatens to shatter their peace."

"Yeah," Patrick agreed. "How rude of you to think that!"

Eureeka giggled nervously and put her hand up in defense, "Sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't know." She paused. "Wait, you came into this world on a ship, right?"

"Yeah," Kioku nodded, "What about it?"

"Why not take Kitty-Puppy to Daybreak Town?" She suggested cheerfully. "That way, they won't have to wait to get there."

"Hey, that sounds great!" Spongebob cheered. "Did you hear that Winslow, we're getting CatDog outta here!"

Winslow sat on Kioku's shoulder. "Nevah thought I'd say this, but I'm glad." Kioku chuckled. "What do you say CatDog, you wanna come with-"

He looked down, only to see no sign of CatDog. "Huh?"

"Where'd they go?" Patrick asked. Eureeka called out to them, "Kitty-Puppy! Kitty-Puppy!" She sighed sadly. "They must've ran off."

"Let's go find them and tell them the news." Kioku suggested.

* * *

 ** _-Wind-Up Castle: Hall of Gears-_**

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick explored the castle in search of CatDog. Soon, they saw them wandering about.

"Hey, CatDog!" Kioku yelled. "Let's go back, we've got some great news you'd like to hear."

Patrick smiled and nodded. "Yeah, it'll make you really, really happy!"

Dog sniffed the ground, "Sorry guys, we can't talk! I'm looking for someone!"

Cat rolled his eyes. "Eh Dog, what I'm I gonna do with you..?"

"CatDog, stop messing around. This is no time for games." Kioku said sternly. The three of them turned around and started to walk back, until a familiar voice was heard.

"But Kioku, I thought you liked games. Or are you too cool for 'em now that you have the Keyblade?"

Kioku and the others turned around. "Yoru, what are you doing here?"

"Just playing with CatDog." Yoru replied.

"You know what I mean. Where's Taiyo, did you find her yet?" Kioku asked.

"I dunno," Yoru smirked. "Maybe if you catch us, I'll tell you everything I know."

Kioku clenched his fists, "Bring it!"

Yoru grabbed CatDog and ran off. Kioku started to follow them, but were stopped as a group of Heartless appeared to hinder them in their tracks. The Heartless looked like puppets being hung on strings. They had long claws and wild ant-like ears with glowing button-like yellow eyes and garbed in a dirty white blouse and overalls.

Kioku summoned his Keyblade and got into a stance. "Out of our way!"

* * *

 _ **(INFORMATION: Defeat all of the Heartless!)**_

 _ **(Battle Theme: Peril in the Music Box)**_

Kioku knocked the Heartless out of the way with a swing of the Keyblade, making it fly towards Spongebob. Spongebob jumped up and singed the Heartless with a powerful Firaga spell. Patrick barely dodged one of the Puppet Heartless' dangerous claws, and he knocked into oblivion using only his stomach. Patrick blocked another one's attack, and counters with an attack of his own by spinning with his shields.

Suddenly, one of the Heartless started to chase Kioku. The key bearer acted fast gave it the chase it wanted. He lead it over by the wall and quickly ran up the wall, performing a back flip right before slashing through the Heartless in one swipe. As more Heartless emerged, they trotted towards the three. Kioku landed on the floor and looked at the charging enemies.

"Spongebob!" Kioku shouted.

"Try this on for size," Spongebob conjured up a ball of flames and held his staff out to the side. Kioku dashed quickly and wound up his Keyblade. He delivered and strong baseball-esque swing and knocked the fiery ball towards the Heartless. "Take this!"

Patrick looked around in confusion. "Try what on for size?" He screamed as the speed fireball rushed past him and hit the Heartless with a fiery explosion and vaporized them. The starfish brushed himself off and marched towards Spongebob. "Watch where you're aiming, Spongebob, you can take someone's eye out like that.

"Enough, guys. We have to catch up with Yoru and CatDog." The boy then ran into the next hallway, chasing after his best friend. Spongebob reached out to him. "Kioku, wait!"

The two sea creatures sighed and chased after the eager key bearer.

* * *

 ** _-Wind-Up Castle: West Hall-_**

Yoru walked through the hall, hoping Kioku was following him in hope for answers. _"Why do you still care about him?"_ Vicky's voice boomed in the area. She appeared through a corridor of darkness. She walked over to the wall and leaned against it. "Didn't we tell ya that he didn't want any part of you now that he's got the Keyblade and his new twerp friends with him?" Vicky asked, bearing a smug smile on her face.

Yoru stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. "I don't care about Kioku. I was just getting him riled up, that's it."

Vicky raised an eyebrow, "Uh huh, _sure_.." She stood up and walked towards Yoru. "You should be careful of the darkness inside of your heart. The Heartless eat that kind o' stuff up, you know." The boy became a little irritated that Vicky was meddling in his business. "How about you mind you're own business, Vicky?"

The girl laughed and opened up a corridor of darkness. She started to walk backwards into it. "Hey, just lookin' out for you, twerpster."

Soon, she disappeared and left Yoru alone. Then CatDog came running passed him, followed by Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick. "Yoru!" Kioku shouted. "What's the matter with you, do you have any idea what you're doing?"

Yoru smirked and pointed to Kioku's Keyblade. "I should be asking you that. You only seem interesting in running about and showing off your Keyblade." Yoru's smirk dropped into an angry glare. "Do you even want to save Taiyo?"

Kioku clenched the Keyblade tighter, "You know I do." They then heard CatDog screaming in horror somewhere else in the castle. They five of them ventured down the long hallway and opened the door that lead to another room.

* * *

 ** _-Wind-Up Castle: Underloft-_**

Upon entering the Underloft, they saw CatDog cowering in fear as a huge Pureblood Heartless called Dark Thorn stood over them. The Dark Thorn is a massive creature with black skin and both of its wrists and ankles still have manacles on them. The chains on its arms are broken, but the chain connecting its feet is not. Like many other Purebloods, the Dark Thorn has a heart-shaped hole in its chest. The Heartless has a large, red, toothy maw and beady, glowing yellow eyes.

While it is muscular and has large hands and feet, it also has rather thin limbs. Each of its limbs sports three digits with long, red claws. The Dark Thorn also has two enormous, orange horns and a massive, orange mane.

Dark Thorn obviously had it's eyes set on CatDog and raised it's claws and got ready to slice them in half. Kioku summoned his Keyblade and threw it towards the Heartless just as it brought it claws down, stopping the the attack and knocking it back into the wall. Yoru stood side by side with Kioku, and summoned his sword in a mist of darkness and sparks.

"You up for this?" Yoru asked, staring at the Heartless. Kioku summoned his Keyblade back. "Let's do this."

"Spongebob, Patrick, keep CatDog safe while me and Yoru fight this huge Heartless." The boy ordered. "Can do!" Spongebob and Patrick saluted.

* * *

 _ **(INFORMATION: Defeat the Dark Thorn while protecting CatDog! If CatDog's damage gauge is filled, it's Game Over!)**_

 _ **(Battle Theme: Destiny's Force)**_

The Dark Thorn recovered and tried to attack CatDog again, but missed as they quickly ran out of the way, making the Heartless scrape the stone floor and leave deep claw marks. Kioku flipped towards Dark Thorn and smashed his Keyblade into his head, making it crash into the ground. The Dark Thorn then clenched it's fist and punched Kioku into the ceiling. "Kioku!" Spongebob yelled in worry.

Kioku as was falling to the ground, The Dark Thorn readied it's claws and got ready to end him in a swipe. But in the nick of time, Yoru leaped to Kioku's aid and blocked the Heartless' attack, letting Kioku fall safely to the ground. Yoru then swiped at the Heartless and knocked him back to the ground. The boy sat up, rubbing his head. Yoru kept his guard up while looking back at Kioku.

"Come on, stand up." Yoru said. "If you're the hero you claim to be, then stand up and fight!" Kioku stood up and brushed himself off. "Heh, all right.."

The Heartless stood up and shook violently. "Get ready, it's about to attack."

CatDog ran behind Yoru and Kioku, cowering. "He-He-He-Hey-Hey kid," Cat stuttered in fear. "Do ya think it'll just leave us alone and stop tryin' to kill us?"

The Dark Thorn roared and charged at them. "Nope!" Yoru and Kioku shouted in unison. Kioku jumped up and swung his Keyblade, resulting in it being blocked. Yoru assisted Kioku by slashing the Heartless in the stomach. The keybearer broke through Dark Thorn's guard and attacked with a few aerial strikes from his Keyblade. But it retaliated with a spinning attack that knocked them backwards.

"My turn," Yoru muttered as he ran up and attacked with it an upper slash. Dark Thorn roared in pain as it stumbled backwards. Kioku leaped from Yoru's shoulders, performing a 180 spin in the air and struck the Heartless to the ground. The boy landed next to Yoru. "Tch, what's with all the flashy moves, Kioku?" Yoru teased. "If I remember correctly, I was _always_ the one who ended up showing you up."

Kioku laughed and got into a stance. "Maybe the tables have turned." The Dark Thorn crawled back up, and got in a feral-like stance. Dark aura raged around the Heartless.

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" Yoru asked, a smirk curling on his face. Kioku became nostalgic as he remembered a fighting technique he and Yoru used to do back when they used to play on the hilltops over looking the town. "Let's do it!"

As the Heartless charged, Yoru dashed in front of Kioku, knelt down and leaned forward. "Don't trip up!" Yoru shouted.

"Gotcha!" Kioku shouted. He flipped in front of Yoru and struck the Heartless with a spinning strike. Kioku then kneeled down and this time Yoru ran and flipped in front of Kioku while slashing the Heartless in the same manner. Yoru reached out to Kioku, who grabbed his hand and let him spin him around a few times. Yoru then let go and send Kioku flying towards the Heartless.

"Grah!" Kioku spun himself around rapidly as he repeatedly attacked the Heartless with his Keyblade. Dark Thorn roared as it fell to the ground in defeat. It slowly disappeared into darkness, leaving Kioku on the floor. "Kioku!" Patrick yelled, running to the boy's aid. Spongebob followed. They softly shook him.

"Are you okay, pal? Speak to me!" Spongebob shouted.. Kioku sat up, "I'm all right, I'm fine."

He looked over at Yoru, who was chuckling. "Just like old times, huh?" CatDog, still freaked out from the fight, quickly ran off in the other direction. Yoru didn't say anything, and chased after them.

"Yoru!" Kioku shouted after him. "What does he want with CatDog?" Spongebob asked, as he found the boy's odd obsession with CatDog.

Winslow popped out, "I dunno. But whateva it is, I bet you a block of cheddah that it ain't nothin' good." Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick chased after him.

* * *

 ** _-Wind-Up Castle: West Hall-_**

As they ran, they heard crying and commotion carrying on way off in the Entrance Hall. "What's going on now?!" Kioku shouted, as he was now becoming fed up by Yoru's attitude. Why was he acting so strange? Was Vicky's words possibly the truth? They hurried off to the Entrance Hall to see what was going on.

* * *

 ** _-Wind-Up Castle: Entrance Hall-_**

The three entered the room and saw Eureeka on her knees, crying while Yoru stood at the top of the flight of stairs. "Please! Leave my Kitty-Puppy alone!" Eureeka cried. "Give him back!" In Yoru's arms he held an unconscious CatDog. "Sorry little girl, but me and this freakshow has unfinished business."

Eureeka growled. "Freakshow?! They are not a stinkin' freakshow! They are my pets!"

Yoru looked down at CatDog. "They are unusual. They share a single vessel, yet possess two hearts." Yoru explained. "I dunno, maybe one of them could help someone who's lost theirs."

Kioku interrupted. "Wait, Are you talking about Taiyo?"

Yoru didn't even look Kioku's way and he still snapped. "And what do you care about her?" He then ran off into the East Hallway. Kioku slammed his fist into the wall in anger. "Yoru!"

"Kioku!" Eureeka ran up to the three of them."Please, save Kitty-Puppy. That boy seems to be up to no good!" Eureeka plead. "No problem, Eureeka!" Spongebob said. "

We'll make sure CatDog is safe and sound!" Patrick promised. "Yeah, don't worry about a thing." Kioku smiled, even though on the inside he was not okay. He was mad at the person Yoru had become. A boy that was once his best friend has now became bitter and antagonistic against him. He didn't want to admit it out loud, but he thought that what Vicky said back in Paradise Valley might have been true.

"C'mon, let's go!" Kioku said, following Yoru and the unconscious CatDog.

* * *

 ** _-Wind-Up Castle: East Hall-_**

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick arrived with their weapons in hand. They saw Yoru standing before them, with CatDog resting on the side. "Let them go, Yoru!" Kioku said, pointing the Keyblade at him. "A freak that's lost their hearts to the Heartless." Yoru said. "Maybe one of them hold the key to helping Taiyo."

Yoru reached his hand out to Kioku, "How about it Kioku? Let's join forces to save her."

Kioku's mind replayed the same memory of when Tranquil County has being destroyed and Yoru stuck his hand out the same way, when he asked Kioku to come with him. Yoru then slowly walked towards them. "We can do it together."

Kioku summoned his Keyblade and got into a stance with it. Yoru stopped in his tracks, and his stare got more and more intense. "So that's how is it? You'd rather fight me over some conjoined freakshow with no hearts?" Yoru said, holding his arms out.

"Hearts or no hearts. At least they still have a conscience." Kioku said as Winslow hopped out of Kioku's hood and ran over to CatDog. "You might not hear it, but right at this very moment..it's loud and clear."

"And you wanna know what it's telling me?" the boy asked.

Yoru chuckled. "Shoot."

Kioku shouted. "It's telling me, that you're on the wrong side!" Yoru summoned his blade, "Then you leave me no choice..."

"CatDog! CatDog!" Winslow yelled. "Wake up!"

He shook them. Their eyes opened slowly.

"Winslow," Dog said softly. "I don't think were gonna make it buddy."

"Yeah," Cat added. "We're finished, old pal.."

Tears welled up in Winslow's eyes, "No! Shut up you stupid, stupid nimrods!" He sobbed, "It ain't ovah..."

Spongebob and Patrick ran over to assist Winslow. Spongebob raised his staff into the air, "Heal!"

A warm green light washed over CatDog's body, and they perked right up. "HI HO DIGGETY!" Dog cheered. "Look Cat, we're A-Okay!"

"Oh Spongebob, my boy! You saved our bacon!" Cat sobbed happily.

Dog jumped up, his mouth watering. "Bacon?! Where!?" Winslow hugged them. "You dumb nimrods...I'd thought I'd lost ya's for good."

Yoru turned his attention back to Kioku and got into a stance with his blade, giving his former friend a glare that could kill. "I didn't want to do this..but you leave me no choice!" Yoru said darkly. Patrick was ready to jump at Kioku's aid, but Spongebob stopped him.

"No Patrick. This is Kioku's fight."

* * *

 _ **(INFORMATION: Fight with Yoru and knock some sense into him!)**_

 _ **(Battle Theme: Another Side)**_

Yoru screamed as he charged at Kioku. Kioku dodges his blade swing with a back flip, and dodged another swing by hopping out of the way. Kioku swung his Keyblade, only for it to be blocked by Yoru's own blade. They pushed their weapons up against each other, trying to overpower one another.

"Don't be stupid, Kioku," Yoru muttered. "You always knew I was the better fighter."

Yoru then kicked Kioku away, making him fall on the floor. Kioku gasped as Yoru hopped into the air and threatened to end him with a vicious stab. The key bearer rolled out of the way as Yoru came down blade first. Kioku stood up and readied his Keyblade.

"That's because you cheat!" Kioku shouted. Yoru laughed at his comment.

Kioku ran at him again and took another swing, this time he managed to strike him in the back. Yoru exclaimed in pain and struggled to unsheathe his blade from the floor. The boy leaped into the air for an attack, but Yoru took his blade out and blocked the oncoming swing.

"I was better at everything!" Yoru said, making Kioku frown at his comment. He clenched his fist and delivered and an uppercut to Kioku's chin, making the boy stumble back. Blood creeped down the side of Kioku's mouth, making him angrier.

Yoru laughed again and dashed at him. Kioku readied himself again, and this time he calmed himself. He focused and delivered a more concentrated and focused swing. Yoru was knocked back as he took a hit in face, the boy flipped back to his feet and kneeled down. Blood leaked from the side of his mouth aswell.

"Eye for an eye, huh?" Yoru shouted at Kioku, standing up to his feet.

"You need to stop this Yoru," Kioku shouted back. "This isn't the way things should be!"

"Shut up! You shouldn't tell me anything!" Yoru shouted as he charged at Kioku. They traded words just as much as they were trading blows.

"You think you can preach to me, after what you done?" Yoru screamed. "You abandoned me for your new friends! You think just because you have that Keyblade, you can act all high and mighty and give out orders as if you're some kind of hero of justice." Kioku swung his Keyblade, resulting in Yoru dodging the attack. "Abandoned you, what are you talking about? I was looking for you!"

"No you weren't!" Yoru yelled. "You were too busy flaunting your Keyblade and playing 'Heros and Monsters'!"

"No I wasn't!" Kioku twirled and slammed his Keyblade on the ground, causing a small quake that shook everyone, knocking Yoru back in the process. "I teamed up with Spongebob and Patrick to find you and Taiyo! So that they can find their king! I never abandoned you! Vicky is lying to you!"

"I went to a bunch of different worlds. Fought a bunch of monsters and bad guys alike. Just to find my two best friends that mean so much to me. And I did it just to find you guys. Don't let some meaningless lies try to turn you against your own friend!" Kioku shouted loudly.

Yoru clenched his head, "Stop lying!"

Kioku ran towards Yoru. "I'm..."

Yoru held up his blade in defense. "Not..." Kioku leaped in the air.

"LYING!" Kioku clashed blades with Yoru, who was brought down to his knees due to the force of Kioku's strike. They pushed their blades up against each other until sparks were emitting from them. Kioku screamed as he channeled all of his strength to overpower Yoru. A white light flashed and Yoru was sent flying. He rolled on the floor until he stopped and lied there, like a lifeless corpse. Soon, Yoru pushed himself up to his knees, stumbling on his way up.

Kioku slowly walked up to his friend, "They've been feeding you lies, trying to turn you against me!" He said. "Why can't you see that?"

Kioku held up his hand, trying to wear a smile even though he felt another pain that wasn't just cuts and bruises. "C'mon. Come with us, let's look for Taiyo as team.." Yoru panted. He stood up and opened a portal of darkness. "Save it, Kioku. Why don't you just play with your new friends?" He then ran into the darkness and left them all behind.

Kioku sighed and dropped to his knees, causing Spongebob and Patrick came to his aid. "Kioku, you're hurt.." Spongebob said.

"After all of that..he still doesn't believe me.." Kioku said, his voice became shaky. "Don't worry, Kioku, it'll get through to him some time!" Patrick said.

Kioku nodded slowly, a single tear falling from his eyes. A keyhole then appeared in the ceiling. Kioku's Keyblade shook and he aimed it and locked the keyhole with a beam of light. A loud clicking sound was heard afterwards. He stood up and wiped his eyes. "Well, let's get going." Kioku said.

CatDog and Winslow ran up to the three. The little blue mouse hopped back into Kioku's hood.

* * *

 ** _-Wind-Up Castle: Entrance Hall-_**

"Are you all leaving?" Eureeka asked softly, as Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick and CatDog were heading towards the door.

Kioku turn around and nodded. "Yeah, we gotta go." The young sorceress ran up and hugged the three of them. "Thank you. Thank you for helping Kitty-Puppy..."

Eureeka handed Kioku a charm. "Here, take it. It's another way of saying thanks."

Kioku smiled and put the charm in his pocket. "Thank you, Eureeka."

"Well...bye.." She smiled. Eureeka then ran off as she was happy. Happy knowing that CatDog was going to be safe. Kioku and the others turned and exited the castle.

* * *

 _ **(ITEM GET: Superhero Charm:**_

 _ **With the help of two friends, you can summon Fanboy and Chum Chum!)**_

* * *

 _ **-Halberd: Captain's room-**_

In the Captain's room of the Halberd, Ganondorf's commandeered ship, Yoru and Vlad stood and watched over Taiyo's lifeless body. "So, Taiyo's a lifeless puppet now?" Yoru asked.

"Correct." Vlad replied.

"And her heart is.."

"Taken by the Heartless, of course." Vlad said. Yoru turned to Vlad, desperate for answers. "What can I do?"

Vlad smiled. "There are seven maidens with the purest of hearts. We call them the Princesses of Heart. Gather them together and the door will open to the heart of all worlds. Within it, lies untold wisdom."

"There, you will sure find a way to recover Taiyo's heart." Vlad went on. "And now, I will grant you something useful." Yoru lowered his head. "And that is?"

Vlad opened his arms. "The power to control the Heartless!" Everything around Yoru went black, it consumed him. He could then see clearly and a green aura washed over him. He felt extreme power, a power that he had never felt before. He turned to look at Taiyo.

"Soon Taiyo, very soon." Yoru said, his voice darker and more sinister.

* * *

 ** _-Winslow's Journal-_**

 ** _*Eureeka:_** _A_ friendly sorceress-in-training. Her spells are not successful most of the time, but she keeps trying until she gets it right. She takes in CatDog after their world was destroyed. _**She was training to make her magic stronger in "Eureeka's Castle (1988)".**_

 _ ***CatDog:** Two conjoined brothers who end up in Eureeka's world, Wind-up Castle, after their world was taken by the Heartless. The two try to work with Eureeka in order to find a way to get to Daybreak Town. Even though they share a body, they have their own heart. **The two were inseparable in** **"CatDog (1998)".**  
_

 _ ***Yoru:**_ _A self-confident youth always competing with appears in the Wind-Up Castle to try and find a way to get one of CatDog's hearts to help out Taiyo.  
_

 ** _-Heartless-_**

 ** _*Dreadful Puppets:_** _A Puppet-like Heartless that are most common in Wind-Up Castle. These Heartless attack with their strings and claws, and will chase you around. If they catch you, they'll capture you into a devastating claw combo.  
_


	19. Chapter 18: Aboard the Halberd

**_Chapter 18: Aboard the Halberd_**

* * *

 ** _-Tranquil County: Hilltops-_**

 _The sounds of wooden swords clanking and hitting each other were emitting as Kioku and Yoru sparred. Their new friend Taiyo, watched while holding her teddy bear._

 _Yoru cartwheeled out of the way of Kioku's jumping slash and countered with a kick to the stomach, making the boy fly back into the grass. Yoru ran towards the boy as he got ready to attack again._

 _Kioku jumped back up to his feet, and got in a stance. He swiftly tried to dodge Yoru's swings but the boy managed to break Kioku's guard and hit him with a chain of three well executed kicks. Kioku fell back into the grass yet again._

 _"Ow! Yoru your cheating!" Kioku cried, with tears forming in his eyes._

 _Yoru rested on the ground with his wooden sword by his side. "How so?"_

 _"No! KICKING!" Kioku screamed. "I haven't kicked you not once! Let alone punch you!"_

 _"We're suppose to be using our swords!"_

 _Yoru rolled his eyes. "Come on Kioku, didn't you punch me in the shoulder not too long ago?"_

 _"I did that because you were grabbing my shirt!" Kioku argued. "Besides, we're suppose to be fighting for Taiyo's hand in marriage!"_

 _Taiyo giggled. "Yes. One of my loyal knights will marry me and become my king if they win in a fight."_

 _Kioku stood back up, his clothes tattered and stained with grass and dirt from falling so much. He got into a stance with his wooden sword. Yoru, who was nearly untouched got into a stance as well._

 _"Kioku, can I ask you something?" Yoru asked. "Why are you so determined to marry Queen Taiyo? No matter how many times I defeat you, you always manage to stand back up.."_

 _Kioku giggled. "Because, I never give up! No matter how hard the fight might be, I'll always get back up to try again!"_

 _"And besides, I want to be the first one to marry Taiyo." Kioku said, looking over at Taiyo with a smile._

 _The girl blushed, hiding her face behind her teddy bear._

 _Yoru scoffed. "Whatever. Get ready, because I'm coming at you again!"_

 _Kioku smirked and the two boys ran towards each other again._

* * *

 ** _-Lanes in Between-_**

After dropping CatDog off in DayBreak Town, Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick cruised in the Lanes in Between. Kioku, who was still torn up about his fight with Yoru back in the Wind-Up Castle, hadn't said a word since they returned to the ship. Spongebob and Patrick didn't say anything to Kioku about it either, trying not to upset the boy.

Kioku muttered, "So, where are we headed off to next?" Spongebob sighed. "I wish I knew. It feels like we've sealed every keyhole so far!" Soon, it had gotten dark and they felt their ship shaking as they heard a large ship slowly flew over them. The big ship had a dark and mysterious aura around it. The boy somehow felt a strange feeling, like as if something was telling him to go there.

"Spongebob, let's head there!" Kioku said, tapping the sponge. "There on that battleship." he pointed.

"What? Are you crazy?" Spongebob asked. "We can't just stow-away on someone's ship."

"Look, I-I just have a feeling about this!" Kioku stuttered, trying to convince his friend.

"I dunno Spongebob," Patrick shrugged. "Maybe we should."

Spongebob sighed, "Okay, okay. Let's go."

They blasted off towards the mysterious ship as ordered by Kioku, hoping to find out what the mysterious feeling was.

* * *

 ** _-Halberd Battleship: Deck-_**

 _ **(Field Theme: Omnious Ship)**_

After they landed, Kioku looked around cautiously as Spongebob and Patrick disappeared when they landed. After searching around, he then heard someone call out to him. "I didn't think you'd come, Kioku." Yoru shouted, walking out on the deck to meet them. "Yoru." Kioku said, turning to his friend. Yoru waved, "How's it hangin'?"

"Where are Spongebob and Patrick?" Kioku asked. "What did you do with them?!"

"Are they that important to you?" Yoru asked, "More important than old friends?"

"Instead of asking about them, you should be asking.." Yoru moved out of the way, revealing Taiyo's body sitting behind him. "About her."

"Taiyo!" Kioku exclaimed. "While you were out goofing off, I managed to find her." Yoru said in a sinister tone. Kioku ran towards the two, and reached out to Taiyo. He then felt a strong force along with a sharp pain slam into his stomach. He had just been punched. Ganondorf brought Kioku to his knees with a punch to his gut. The boy coughed and choked, kneeling down and holding his stomach.

"No horseplay on board the Halberd." The dark lord said hauntingly. A small plankton hopped onto his shoulder. "Ehaha, look at him writhe in pain!" Plankton laughed. Yoru summoned a group of Heartless to surround Kioku. The key bearer was surprised at his ability.

Kioku grunted and looked up at Yoru. "Why..why are you siding with the..H-Heartless?" Yoru crouched down to Kioku's level and grabbed his hair, meeting with him face to face.

"The Heartless obey me now, Kioku. I don't have anything to fear." Yoru said, his voice sounded foreign to his friend. His voice sounded so dark and grim, as if the happy and witty Yoru Kioku once knew was killed off and replaced with an imposter. "Are you dumb?!" Kioku shouted angrily. "The Heartless will swallow your heart sooner or later."

"NOT A CHANCE!" Yoru yelled in Kioku's face. "My heart's way too strong." Kioku growled, making Yoru laugh. He let go of Kioku and stood up and backed away.

"I can also do this with my new power." Yoru threw out his hand and summoned a Shadowy doppelganger of Kioku, which emerged from the ground. Kioku gasped in fear. "How the.."

"Go see your friends. I'm sick of looking at your face." Yoru turned away from Kioku. A trap door opened underneath Kioku and he fell right in.

Yoru turned to Ganondorf and looked up at him. "Let's speed this thing up."

"And keep Kioku away from Taiyo until we're ready to land." Yoru ordered as he walked back into the ship's interior. Ganondorf grunted angrily. "That brat thinks he can order me around on my own ship?"

"Then what do we do, Ganon?" Plankton asked. "Nothing." Gannondorf replied. "The hold is infested with Heartless. Let them keep an eye on the key bearer and the girl."

* * *

 ** _-Halberd Battleship: Ship's Brig-_**

After meeting up with Spongebob and Patrick, Kioku broke the news about seeing Taiyo. Patrick gasped happily. "Really?"

"Yup! It was definitely Taiyo!" Kioku said happily. "I finally found her."

"Yay! Let's go up and talk to her!" Patrick suggested. "Yeah!" Kioku cheered.

"Uh, fellas, that sounds great all.." Spongebob started, sounding like he was in pain. "But, first..."

Kioku and Patrick were crushing Spongebob underneath them. "How about getting off?!" Spongebob asked.

"Oh," Kioku laughed. "Sorry, Spongebob." They all stood up and brushed themselves off.

"So, what's the plan?" Patrick asked. "We have to make our way up to the surface and find Taiyo." Kioku answered.

"Great, but first.." Spongebob started. "What?" Kioku asked.

Spongebob pointed over to a box in the corner. "That box wasn't there a minute ago was it?" the sponge asked.

Kioku and Patrick shrugged. Kioku then approached the box and knocked on it. He saw it move slightly. "Hmm.."

The boy quickly lift the box up and it revealed a man crouching on the inside. He was a gruff and tough looking man with a beard and headband, wearing a sleek and tight stealth suit, The man was surprised by Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick's appearance. The man stood up, towering over the three with his height. "Who are you three?"

"We should be asking you that!" Spongebob said, putting his hands on his hips. The man sighed gruffly. "The name's Snake."

"I'm Kioku." Kioku waved.

"Spongebob Squarepants."

"Patrick Star."

"You three must be from another world. Just like me." Snake folded his arms. "Huh? Was your world swallowed by darkness too?" Kioku asked.

"Yeah. Me and a few people managed to make it out safely on an aircraft. I'm currently searching for someone here on this ship." Snake explained. "We're looking for someone on this ship too." Patrick said.

"Well then, let's team up for now." Snake offered. "The Heartless are running wild here and who knows what that dark lord has up his sleeve." Kioku and Snake firmly shook hands, agreeing to offer assistance to one another. "Okay Snake, let's go."

* * *

 _ **(Snake has joined you!)**_

 _-Party Member info: Solid Snake_

 _Attacks:_

 _SOCOM: Snake pulls out his SOCOM pistol and fires at the enemy, stunning them._

 _Tranq gun: Snake uses his Tranquilizer gun and shoots the enemy, making them fall asleep._

 _CQC: Snake grabs the enemy and throws them down with great force._

 _Grenade toss: Snake can throw three types of grenades. Regular, Stun, and Incediary. Regular can knock the enemies into the air, Stun speaks for itself and Incendiary inflicts heavy Fire damage._

 _Mine plant: Snake plants a mine. It detonates when an enemy walks over it._

 _Assault Rifle: Snake fires his assault rifle._

* * *

 ** _-Halberd Battleship: Hold-_**

The group stealthily moved into the Hold of the ship. The four saw a group of Heartless patrolling the area. Snake put a finger to his lips, signaling to the other three to be quiet. Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick nodded and continued to move quietly through the hold. It was working...until Patrick clumsily tripped and fell, alerting the Heartless. "Patrick!" Kioku whispered.

"No time! They're coming at us!" Snake said, reading himself for battle. Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick summoned their weapons and stood beside Snake in battle.

* * *

 _ **(Battle Theme: Encounter**_

 _This theme is a remix of Encounter from MGS1._ _ **)**_

 _ **(Alt. Battle Theme: Red Alert!**_

 _This theme is a remake of the MSX Metal Gear alert theme. Only plays in in the "Japanese version" of Nickelodeon's Kingdom Hearts._ _ **)**_

Kioku took a swing at the Heartless and knocked them away, with Snake quickly rushing in and slashing at one of them with his knife. Spongebob flipped backwards and cast a Thundaga spell towards the Heartless and vaporized them quickly. More appeared and started to rush towards them. Patrick threw his shields at the group of Heartless and let them boomerang back to him. Kioku ran towards the stunned group of Heartless and slashed through them with his Keyblade. Defeating them instantly.

"Come on! Through here!" Snake said, pointing to the next room, which looked to be a freezer. Kioku and the gang hurried down into the freezer.

* * *

 ** _-Halberd Battleship: Freezer-_**

"Brr..it's freezing in here." Kioku shivered.

"Well it..is a freezer after all." Snake said. Kioku gave Snake a look.

"Let's hurry through here before we all turn into a popsicle." Spongebob said.

"Ooh, I like popsicles!" Patrick cheered. "Well, I don't want to turn into one, that's for sure." Kioku laughed. The four hurried through the freezer and climbed ladder that lead to the Galley.

* * *

As the four were walking, Patrick asked Snake a question. "Hey, Snake," Patrick started. "How is a spy like you gonna take on someone as powerful as Ganondorf?"

Snake smirked and pointed his thumb at his headband. "Infinite ammo." Kioku chuckled awkwardly. " _Right_. But, you mind telling us who you're looking for?"

"Meryl. She's the colonel's daughter." Snake said. "We stopped in a place called Daybreak Town to get some supplies. Next thing I know, she was kidnapped." Snake explained. "We saw a large ship taking off. So, I followed it, and here I am."

Kioku nodded. "We're here to find my friend Taiyo. I've been looking for her for a while now."

"You know the brat working with Ganon?" Snake asked suddenly as he took out a cigarette and lit it.

Kioku nodded. "That's my friend Yoru, or at least he was. Some bad guys lied and told him I didn't want any part of him after finding the Keyblade and these two. Now he's sided with the Heartless."

Snake took a puff from his cigarette and patted Kioku's shoulder sympathetically. "Hey kid, don't worry about. I'm sure he'll realize the choices he made and..reconsider." Snake said as he blew smoke.

"You really think so?" Spongebob asked.

Snake rubbed the back on his neck, "Not completely sure, but..it's worth a try,"

* * *

 ** _-Meanwhile in the Captain's Room-_**

Plankton, Ganondorf and Yoru were discussing their plans inside of the Captain's room. Apparently, the woman Snake came to rescue, Meryl, wasn't the one they were looking for. "What's the meaning of this?!" Plankton yelled. "That girl we nabbed in Daybreak Town ain't the chosen one?"

"There are seven, apparently." Yoru said. "And according to Plasmius, she's not one of them." He turned to stare out of the window. "Let's hurry, and leave all the dead weight behind."

"After going through the trouble of getting her?" Ganondorf asked, raising his voice. "We can't just drop her out of the ship."

"And why those seven?" Plankton asked angrily. "What is Vlad planning, anyways?"

"Who knows?" Yoru shrugged. "As long as it means getting Taiyo's heart back. I couldn't care less.."

Ganondorf folded his arms and scoffed at the boy, "You're just squandering your time. The Heartless devoured that girl's heart." he said. "It's probably lost for good."

"I'll find it no matter what.." Yoru said. Plankton turned his attention to the surveillance monitors. "Hey, Mr. Dark Lord. Your prisoners escaped!"

"Damn," Ganondorf cursed under his breath. "Bring the hostages to the cabin, now!"

* * *

 ** _-Back in the Galley-_**

"Hey! Look up there!" Patrick pointed, looking up through the metal grating. "Snake? Snake, is that you?" A woman's voice called out. She crawled over to the grating, seeing Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick and Snake. "Meryl!" Snake shouted as he went running to the metal grating. "Are you all right?"

"Ugh, I can't talk right now, someone's coming!" Meryl said. "Don't worry, we'll get you out!" Snake said.

"Meryl?" Kioku said.

"Yeah?" She answered.

"Is there another girl in there with you?" Kioku asked. Meryl looked behind her and nodded. "Yes, there is." Meryl answered. "But, it looks like she's asleep though. She hasn't budged the whole time I've been here."

"Taiyo! Taiyo!" Kioku yelled, trying to get her answer back. Somehow, he could sense that she was moving, but only a little at a time. Kioku smiled and chuckled. "She's alright!" Then, they heard commotion coming into the room. And from the sounds of it, it sounded lik Meryl and Taiyo were being taken away.

"Damn it," Snake growled. "Kioku, let's head up there!" Snake suggested. They went into another room, which lead to the hallway.

* * *

 ** _-Halberd Battleship: Metal Corridors-_**

Kioku and the other's entered the Metal Corridors. A few Heartless appeared to stop them, but they managed to take them out quickly before finding the stairs and walking up to the next floor.

* * *

 ** _-Halberd Battleship: Corridor 2-_**

They reached the hallway, the one Meryl and Taiyo were being held on. Snake banged on the door, hoping to get an answer. "Meryl! You in there?! Meryl!"

No answer. Kioku walked up to the door next to it and knocked on it. "Let's try this one!" Kioku suggested. The four barged into the door and reached the Cabin.

* * *

 ** _-Halberd Battleship: Captain's Cabin-_**

They all examined the room around them. There were no people in the room, which was odd. Kioku turned and saw Yoru carrying Taiyo.

"Hey, wait!" Kioku shouted, as Yoru was about to leave the room. A dark puddle formed in between them and emerging from it was Kioku's Heartless doppelganger. Kioku gasped and summoned his Keyblade. The Shadow Kioku swung a Keyblade of his own, but Kioku managed to block it's attack. He looked to see if Yoru was gone. And he was. Kioku shoved his imposter away and got into a stance. Spongebob, Patrick and Snake stood by Kioku's side, ready to fight.

 _ **(Battle Theme: Shrouding Dark Cloud)**_

Kioku charged at Shadow Kioku and attacked it with a short flurry of swings right before knocking it back with a strong leaping attack. Shadow Kioku dove into the ground and the black puddle swam behind Kioku. His doppelganger popped up and struck him with a hard-hitting strike that sent the boy to the ground in pain.

Snake cocked his gun and fired at Shadow Kioku, who knocked the bullets away with swings. Shadow Kioku tossed it's Keyblade at Snake and once it hit him, it sent him flying to the ground. Patrick blindsided the Heartless imposter with a heavy punch from one of his shields, which sliced it in half. "I got it!" Patrick cheered. Kioku stood up and brushed himself off.

"That'll teach it to-" Kioku was cut off by the two halves forming into complete clones. Now there were two Shadow Kiokus.

"This thing's good." Spongebob commented. Snake stood up and tackled the second Shadow Kioku to the ground. Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick turned their attention to the first one.

Kioku struck the Shadow doppelganger three times, chaining his hits into a short combo. Then Spongebob assisted with a few bursts of Firaga blasts that burned the Heartless fiend. Patrick then aggressively attacked the Shadow Kioku with his shields. Snake apprehended the second Shadow Kioku and tossed it towards the other one. The two Heartlesses merged together and formed into one. Kioku's Keyblade emitted a golden glow and he quickly vanquished the Shadow copy with a few quick swings. He cut through Shadow Kioku, slicing it in half again, causing it to vaporize into black ink.

Snake pointed over to an open trap door that lead to a lower part of the ship. "Maybe Meryl's in there." They decided to check down there for Meryl.

* * *

 ** _-Halberd Battleship: Prisoner's Room-_**

After climbing down, they found Meryl, who was rendered unconscious. Snake ran over to Meryl and shook her.

"Meryl! Wake up!" Snake whispered. "C'mon!" Snake sighed. He turned to the three.

"Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick. Thanks for helping me find Meryl." Snake nodded. "Guess I'll be heading out."

"Where will you go?" Kioku asked. Snaked pondered. "We'll take refuge in Daybreak Town until something turns up." Snake nodded. He picked up Meryl. "Thanks again."

Snake then exited the room and ran into the hallways, leaving behind what looked like a Keychain. Spongebob walked forwards and picked it up. "Snake forgot something." He said. "Here, Kioku, maybe you should hold on to it."

Spongebob gave Kioku the keychain. "Well, now that Snake has Meryl, we should return to our mission. Yoru went out to the deck, let's head there!"

"Got it!" Kioku nodded. The three climbed back into the Captain's Cabin and headed out to the deck.

* * *

 _ **(OBTAINED: Tactical Action**_

 _ **ATK 7 | DEF 5**_

 _ **Increases Attack while lowering Defense by a bit.)**_

* * *

 ** _-Halberd Battleship: Deck-_**

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick reached the deck, and was greeted by Ganondorf, Plankton and a horde of Heartless surrounding them. Spongebob and Patrick's eyes grew big. "Plankton?!"

"How's it goin', Spongeboob?" Plankton taunted. "It looks like your little quest ends here!"

"Not if we can help it!" Patrick said as he summoned his two shields. "Where is Yoru?"

"That Yoru is a piece of work." Ganondorf laughed. "He ran off with the girl and didn't even care to say goodbye."

"Run off where? Tell me, where did he go?!" Kioku shouted, pointing his Keyblade at them.

Plankton laughed. "To the ruins of Hollow Bastion, of course. Where Vlad Plasmius resides."

"But unfortunately, you won't be going there." Ganondorf said darkly. The Heartless grew in numbers and surrounded the three. "But, we'll spare your lives if you hand over the Keyblade." Plankton smirked. "We're merciful, unlike the Heartless."

The teen lowered his head and dropped to his knees. Spongebob and Patrick tried to talk some sense into him. "Kioku! Stand up!" Patrick plead.

"If you do this, you'll only be proving that they won." Spongebob shouted.

Kioku stayed quiet. Ganondorf laughed, "Which will it be, Kioku? The Keyblade or your lives?" The Dark Lord smiled with malevolence, until he heard the sounds of assault rifles clearing away the Heartless. Snake and Meryl flew in to rescue Kioku and the gang, via their own aircraft. They hopped out of their chopper, still firing at the Heartless.

The two rolled on the ground as they landed. The Heartless charged at the two, but their bullets pierced the Heartless and ripped them to shreds. Kioku's eyes widen at the sight of them, he stood up happily. "Snake! M-Meryl!" Kioku shouted in shock. Snake and Meryl ran up to them.

"Kept you waiting, huh?" Snake winked, giving Kioku a thumbs up gesture. "What are you two doing here?" Spongebob asked.

"Well, Snake had a feeling that you guys were in trouble, so we turned around." Meryl explained. "And besides, I need to get revenge on these two for kidnapping me." Ganondorf growled with anger, a dark aura surrounded him. "You dare defy me?"

Plankton, now scared of Ganondorf's anger, hopped off of his shoulder and opened a corridor of darkness, except it was big enough for his size. "They're all yours, Ganon!" Plankton yelled, running into the darkness. "Sayonara!"

Ganondorf clenched his fists and pounded them together. He unsheathed his broadsword and held it by his side. Kioku and his friends got into stances with their weapons and got ready to fight the dark lord.

* * *

 _ **(INFORMATION: Defeat Ganondorf!)**_

 _ **(Battle Theme: The Encounter)**_

Ganondorf laughed and slammed his sword on the ground, creating a dark wave of energy to fly towards them, making Kioku and the others jump out of the way. Kioku ran towards Ganondorf and swung his Keyblade, getting a few good hits on him until the Dark Lord blocked one of his swings. Ganondorf picked Kioku up by his neck and started to squeeze, making the teen gasp and choke.

Spongebob came to Kioku's aid and used Thundaga to shock Ganondorf's grasp on Kioku. The teen flipped back to safety while Ganondorf grabbed his hand and recoiled in pain. The dark lord powered up, the power of darkness coursing throughout his body and he then charged at Kioku, who quickly blocked Ganondorf's charging attack and they pushed their blades against each other. "You're out of your mind If you think your power can override mine!" Ganondorf laughed, towering over Kioku. Kioku stepped back a few, and chuckled.

"Then, how's this?" Kioku pushed Ganondorf as hard as he could and smacked him with his Keyblade, making him stumble backwards. Snake rolled in and fired at Ganondorf with his assault rifle, only for his bullets to be deflected effortlessly. While he was distracted Patrick hopped into the air and formed into a cannonball-like formation. He came crashing down like a comet and slammed right into him, knocking him into the ground.

Patrick flipped off of him and retreated. Kioku then assisted with more Keyblade swings. Ganondorf did a spinning slash to get back up, knocking Kioku backwards in the process. The dark lord growled and then his growls transpired into a bloody cry of war. He gripped his blade tighter and charged at the group. Kioku swiflty glided towards Ganondorf and whacked him with his Keyblade, his face branded with an angry, battle ready glare. Ganondorf, grunted and choked in pain and he took the blow. Kioku stood back and overwhelmed Ganondorf with a frenzy of attacks, his Keyblade glowing blue.

Kioku kicked Ganondorf in the gut and his Keyblade glowed green this time around, and he spun into Ganondorf with a chain of attacks, not letting the dark lord recover not once. Then Kioku shouted vigorously as his Keyblade glowed red and now his strikes became more hard hitting and lethal. He knocked Ganondorf into the air and tossed his Keyblade at him. Defeating him.

* * *

Ganondorf fell to the ground in pain, wheezing and coughing. Spongebob ran over to Kioku, "Say, wasn't that the move Lucina used on you back in the Arena?"

Kioku laughed. "Yeah, i guess..I kinda learned it by remembering."

Snake and Meryl approached them. "Nice moves." the man said, complementing the boy on his skills.

"I can't believe a kid took down an old guy like that!" Meryl said with a surprised look on her face.

Ganondorf then stood up, holding his stomach in pain. Kioku and the other got into a stance, just in case Ganondorf wanted another round. The warlock walked backwards, almost towards the side of the deck. "I will not let you-" Because of his carelessness, he toppled over the side of the deck, and plummeted into the sea of dark purple clouds below. "GUUUWWWAAAAHHHHHH!"

Kioku and the others ran to see when he went, but he was no where to be found. "That takes care of one problem." Kioku said.

"So what's the plan?" Meryl asked. "We gotta head to Hollow Bastion and find Taiyo." Kioku answered. "Then, we defeat Vlad and end it all."

"Well, I wish you good luck, little soldier." Snake said, giving him a smile.

"Same to you Snake." Kioku nodded. "Same to you."

Everyone then parted ways and abandoned the airship. Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick flew out to Hollow Bastion, while Snake and Meryl went to take refuge in Daybreak Town.

* * *

 _-Tranquil County: Big Treehouse-_

 _"Kioku,"_

 _"Hm?"_

 _"When we grow up, let's leave this town." Yoru said. "We'll go on real adventures, not run around and pretend to fight invisible monsters. We'll use real swords and not those dumb wooden swords our parents made us."_

 _As they were leaving the tree house, the chatted some more._

 _"Isn't there anything fun to do while we're here?" Kioku asked._

 _"There's a new girl at the mayor's house." Yoru said._

 _"The one who arrived on the night of the meteor shower?" Kioku asked, climbing out of the treehouse._

 _Suddenly Yoru turned around and saw that the door on the other side of the treehouse, had a keyhole on it. Curious, Yoru slowly walked towards it._

* * *

 _ **-Hollow Bastion: ?-**_

Yoru panted heavily kneeling before Vlad. Taiyo's body lay in front of him. "It was reckless to bring her here without using a vessel." Vlad said. "Didn't I say, relying too much on you dark powers can cost you your heart.."

In the distance, the heard a loud, transformation like noise along with a flash of green light. Seconds after that, they heard a loud roaring noise coming from the same direction.

Vlad smirked mischievously. "My, my, I haven't heard that sound in a while. He must be a castaway.."

Yoru tilted his head. "Who is it?"

"Oh, an old friend of mine." Vlad cackled. "Though his world had perished, his heart..did not."

Vlad went on. "When we abducted we friend, who happened to be one of the pure hearted maidens, he apparently followed her here in a sheer force of will. And I suppose the beast he's with has the same reason for being here. But don't worry, my boy, they will not harm you, as they are no match for your power."

"My power?" Yoru said, puzzled at the man's statement. "Yes, that untapped power that lies within you," Vlad nodded. "I think it's high time that you awaken to your full potential!" Vlad laughed, causing a red aura to wash over Yoru. Yoru accepted the aura, and he was granted a new power.

* * *

 ** _-Lanes in Between-_**

"All right! Let's head over to Hollow Bastion!" Kioku said eagerly.

"Hold it right there, Eager McBeaver!" Spongebob said. "We aren't going until we are fully prepared."

"What do you mean?!" Kioku yelled. "That means, your magic is _VERY in_ experienced!" Spongebob scoled. "You only use it a rarely and by doing that, your magic has gotten rusty." Patrick then remembered something. "Hey, I got an idea! Why not pay Mr. Wizard a visit, he said he'll train you in magic!"

"Great idea, Patrick!" Spongebob cheered.

"Also, I have another confession." Patrick said. "Along the way, I found some pages of that book Link told us to deliver." Patrick said, taking out the ripped out pages from his shorts. Kioku and Spongebob recoiled in disgust.

"You've had them your...EUGH!" Kioku gagged. "Well, I guess Spongebob's right, we should head over to Mr. Wizard so I can full train my magic." Kioku turned the ship around and blasted off to Daybreak Town to see Mr. Wizard.

* * *

- **Winslow's Journal-  
**

 ***Solid Snake:** _A former spy, special operations soldier, and mercenary. Possessing an IQ of 180 and fluent in six languages, he was known as "the Man Who Makes the Impossible Possible" and his exploits made him into a living legend among the military black ops. He boards the Halberd to rescue his friend, Meryl, who was kidnapped by Ganondorf and Plankton. **He was really good at being stealthy in "Metal Gear (1987)".**  
_

 _ ***Meryl Silverburgh:** A soldier who is partners with Solid Snake. When stopping in Daybreak Town for supplies, she is kidnapped by Plankton and Ganondorf. She isn't any old damsel in distress, as she is as good as Snake when it comes to fighting. **She had the desire to be on the battlefield in "Metal Gear Solid (1998)".**  
_

 _ ***Plankton:** A small and tiny villain who hails from Bikini Bottom. He's always caused trouble in his world, always being stopped by King Krabs and his guards. Nowadays, he's teamed up with Vlad Plasmius to try and take over all of the worlds using the powers of darkness. **He was always looking to get the secret formula in "Spongebob SquarePants (1999)".**  
_


	20. Chapter 19: Adventurous Friends

_**Chapter 19: Adventurous Friends  
**_

* * *

 ** _-Daybreak Town: Mystical Cave-_**

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick decided to pay Mr. Wizard a visit so that Kioku can train his magic skills. They entered into the Magical Study, seeing Mr. Wizard greeting them with a wave. "Fellas! How's it going. Have you come to practice your magic, Kioku?"

"Uhh," Kioku hesitated. Spongebob glared at him and jabbed him with his elbow. "Ow! Yes! Jeez.." Kioku sighed, rubbing his arm.

"Splendid. Let's get started then." Mr. Wizard said. Mr. Wizard pressed a button on his table that made part of his ceiling elevated towards the ground. They all got on the platform and were elevated up to the attic.

* * *

 ** _-Daybreak Town: Magic Attic-_**

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick gazed in amazement as they looked around at the attic. The walls were painted to look like the night sky with the stars. Hanging from the ceiling were decorations of the stars and half crescent moons. "Alright, Kioku," Mr. Wizard turned to the boy. "Your first lesson. Focus on taking out as many enemies as you can." The older man instructed. With the snap of his fingers, a bunch of furniture appeared and filled the open space.

"Furniture? Thought you said enemies.." Kioku said, looking around in confusion. "What did you think, I was gonna bring actually enemies into my attic?" Mr. Wizard asked in a snarky manner.

"Yeah, whatever," Kioku said summoning his Keyblade. "So I gotta take out the stationary, boring and dingy furniture."

Mr. Wizard cackled, "Ehh..not quite."

Kioku looked up at the sorcerer with a puzzled look. "Hmm?"

"You have to destroy them.. while they move." Mr. Wizard said, snapping his fingers once again. The furniture started to move all around the room at a fast pace. Kioku smirked. "Not a problem." The eager key bearer ran out into the open space. He did a back flip and fired off a few scorching Fira spells, taking out two flying tables in an instant. A large dresser had then came flying towards him. Kioku acted quickly and dodged the dress and shot a freezing cold Blizzard spell at it and froze it into oblivion. He saw circle of spinning tables and Kioku spun his Keyblade and cloaked it in lightning and threw it towards the tables, but they deflected it and sent the Keyblade flying back to him faster than how he sent it.

The Keyblade smacked Kioku in the gut and sent him flying into the wall. The boy fell down and cried in pain. "Oh, I forgot, Kioku."' Mr. Wizard gasped. "No physical attacks."

Kioku glared at the old man. "Tch..."

Spongebob had started to scold the boy. "See, You rely too much on physical attacks sometimes!" The sponge said.

Kioku picked up his Keyblade and shook off the pain. Mr. Wizard summoned more flying furniture. "This time, try not to use Keyblade unless it's for magic spells." said. "Okay? Okay."

* * *

 ** _-Hours later-_**

Kioku ran up the wall and flipped onto a flying table. He stood up and balanced himself on the table, using it as a flying board. As he zipped by the other furniture, he vaporized all of them with a Thundera spell, getting rid of them while more furniture appears. Kioku had then burned the table he was riding on with a Fira spell and jumped off. He was surrounded by countless of dressers. The dresses moved slowly and got closer towards Kioku.

"Crap..this doesn't look good." the boy muttered to himself. He tighten his grip on his Keyblade, looking around cautiously.

Suddenly all of the surrounding dressers sped up their pace and came flying towards Kioku, who quickly reacted with a Reflect spell. The protective barrier quickly formed and after a few seconds it exploded around him and took out all of the dressers that dared to attack.

After that, more furniture appeared nearly filling up the whole attic. Kioku backed away and panted. "I'm..tired.." the boy wheezed.

"That's because you're casting spell after spell, not giving yourself any time to cool down." Mr. Wizard commented. "Each time you keep casting spell after spell without any cool down, you tire yourself out quickly."

Kioku pouted and turned to yell at Mr. Wizard. "Oh yeah?! Well that's dumb!" He then was hit by an oncoming table and was carried along with it. "Ahhh!"

"Focus more on resting in between spells rather than trying to use up all of your energy." Mr. Wizard instructed. "It's the first step in becoming a great Mage!"

Kioku pulled himself onto the flying table. "All right!" He grunted and readied his Keyblade. "Let's do this!"

* * *

 ** _-Hours Later-_**

Kioku had taken all of Mr. Wizard's advice and managed to successfully defeat all of the furniture using strictly magic. He fell onto the floor in exhaustion. Spongebob, Patrick and Mr. Wizard walked up to the downed Kioku. The three congratulated the boy on mastering his magic.

"Great job, Kioku! Now your magic is pretty much up to par with mine!" Spongebob cheered. "Ya did good, buddy!" Patrick smiled as he applauded.

"Funny, most of the students I've trained had managed to master their spells in a few months time." Mr. Wizard said, rubbing his chin. "But you Kioku, you mastered your magic in just hours at a time!"

Kioku blushed. " _Well_ , I am pretty strong already. I've been bustin' up Heartless and bad guys, so I'm guessing tables and dressers were just a walk in the park!"

Mr. Wizard shook his head, "Yeah, yeah, okay then hotshot." The man chuckled. "Here, your reward." Mr. Wizard handed Kioku a keychain. "This makes your Keyblade's magic a lot more stronger than what it truly is. Use it wisely, you never know when your magic will be needed the most."

Kioku nodded. "Got it. Thanks Mr. Wizard."

"Oh yeah!" Patrick gasped. "We found the pages to the Little Bear book!" Patrick mentioned cheerfully.

"Really?" Mr. Wizard raised an eyebrow, "Where'd you put them?"

"Trust me, you don't wanna know.." Spongebob said in disgust, handing the pages to the sorcerer. Mr. Wizard took the pages. "Let's go fix them into the book, shall we?

 _ **{OBTAINED: Spellbinder**_

 _ **ATK 6 | MAG 9  
**_

 _ **Ability: Spell Master}**_

* * *

 ** _-Daybreak Town: Magical Study-_**

All four of them crowded around the book. Kioku inserted the ripped out pages and sealed them tightly in there. Afterwards, Mr. Wizard checked the durability of the book, seeing that the pages would stay in. "Great job, the book is back together." Mr. Wizard said as he patted the boy on his shoulder. He closed the book and walked away. Kioku widened his eyes and looked back at him. "You're not gonna read it?" The teen asked. "Isn't it special?"

"Read it and find out yourself, Kioku." Mr. Wizard said. Kioku pouted and opened the book, in which a bright light then emitted from it. "Gah! Too bright."

"What's in it?" Spongebob asked. "I don't even-WHOA!" Kioku was then being sucked into the book. The boy screamed and shouted in horror.

"Kioku!" Spongebob and Patrick shouted in unision. Mr. Wizard then quickly ran over to Kioku. "What in the blazes is-"

"No time to talk! Kioku's is being pulled into the book!" Spongebob shouted, grabbing on to Kioku's wrist and desperately trying to pull him out. Patrick also tried to pull him out as well. Mr. Wizard grabbed on and pulled. "PULL!"

They pulled and pulled until they could pull any longer. Kioku was swallowed up by the book. "SPONGEBOB! PATRICK!" The book had then closed and Kioku was gone.

"Kioku! No!" Patrick cried. Spongebob turned to Mr. Wizard, with a sad look on his face. "What's gonna happen to Kioku, Mr. Wizard?"

"Is he going to be stuck in that book forever?" Patrick asked. "I don't know, fellas." Mr. Wizard sighed sadly. "I really don't know.."

* * *

 ** _-Adventurous Forest: Lush Woods-_**

 _ **(Field Theme: The Adventrous Little Bear)**_

Kioku fell down on the hard, grassy ground. He groaned in pain and sat up. He looked around and saw that he was in a lush, green forest. Birds chirped and whistled, the wind blowing calmly. He stood up and brushed himself. "So, there's a world in side of the book?" Kioku muttered to himself. "That's..odd.."

"Spongebob! Patrick! Mr. Wizard!" Kioku yelled into the air, hoping they would hear him on the outside. But after waiting for a few seconds, he didn't get a response.

He folded his arms, "Ugh, this sucks. I guess Mr. Wizard was right about the book being special.." Kioku muttered. "Hey!" A voice called.

Kioku turned around and saw a brown bear cub running towards him. The bear cub skidded to a halt and looked up at the teen. "I've never seen you around before," The cub asked. "Are you new around here?"

The teen folded his arms. "What makes you think that?"

"Your clothes look funny." The cub laughed. Kioku blushed with embarrassment. "Hey, you little-" The boy argued, but he stopped himself and slumped over comically.

The cub laughed. "You're funny! My name is Little Bear, what's yours?" Kioku couldn't do anything but laugh. The cub was so innocent and pure. "I'm Kioku."

"Well, hello Kioku!" Little Bear waved. "It's always great to have a new friend! Say, would you like to come over my house for some cookies?" Little Bear asked. "My mom is baking them herself."

Kioku nodded and shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

"Come on! Follow me!" Little Bear cheered, running off farther into the woods. Kioku ran after him in an attempt to catch up. "Wait up!"

* * *

 ** _-Adventurous Forest: The Riverside-_**

Once Kioku caught up to the adventurous cub, he saw him frozen in fright. The boy shouted, "Hey, what's the matter?"

When he got closer, Kioku saw a mountain lion standing right in front of the cub, threatening to maul him. Kioku summoned his Keyblade and ran to the action. As soon as the mountain lion jumped at Little Bear, Kioku got in front of him and quickly used Reflega to create a large protected dome around the two. He then swung his Keyblade, making the magical dome explode and knock the mountain lion back to the ground.

"Wow!" The cub exclaimed. The mountain lion slowly got back up and got in a more defensive stance, asking for a fight. Kioku shot a focused glare at the mountain lion.

"Little Bear, go hide while I fight this thing." Kioku ordered. Little Bear nodded and ran back into the woods. The mountain lion growled and tried to run after the cub, but Kioku hindered it by swatting it with his Keyblade.

"You're dealing with _me_ now.." Kioku smirked.

* * *

 _ **(INFORMATION: Scare the Mountain Lion off!)**_

 _ **(Battle Theme: Rowdy Rumble)**_

The mountain lion pounced at Kioku, but the boy simply countered it and knocked it back with a strong swat. Kioku dashed towards it and continued to swat at it some more. He back fliped backwards to safety as it recovered and swiped at Kioku with it's claws. Kioku jumped forward and smacked it over the head with his Keyblade and spun around and hit it with a spinning strike, knocking it back to the ground. The mountain lion then got up and quickly ran away into the opposite direction. Little Bear ran up to Kioku with cheer.

"Wow, no one's ever stood up to Trouble like that!" Little Bear said.

"Trouble?" Kioku repeated, slightly puzzled by the bear's statement.

"That mountain lion you just fought, that was Trouble." Little Bear explained. "He's the only meanie in the forest and me and my friends never play with him. He's tried to eat us before, but we scared him good!"

"Is that so?" Kioku asked as he dismissed his Keyblade. Little Bear nodded. "Well, let's hurry up to my house before those cookies start getting cold! Race you there!" Little Bear cheered. He then hopped onto a large log with acted as a bridge and ran across it and dashed into another part of the forest.

Kioku chuckled nervously and followed him. "Oh no you don't!"

* * *

 ** _-Adventurous Forest: Little Bear's House-_**

The two arrived at Little Bear's house, which was a stucco, timber, plaster, and brick house. How could bears build a house like this? But Kioku didn't ask out loud , as it would've been rude. "That's my house up ahead." Little Bear said, pointing to the house. "Come on, I'll introduce you to Mother Bear and Father Bear!"

"Sounds good," Kioku smiled. The two then ran to the house and opened the door. They were greeted by two large bears, wearing clothing. Mother Bear wore a shirt and a long skirt with an apron and Father Bear wore a suit. "Look Mother Bear and Father Bear, I made a new friend out in the forest today!" Little Bear said as he lead Kioku into the house.

"Oh, that's very nice, Little Bear." Mother Bear said as she approached the two. "And what might your name be, young man?"

The teen waved, "I'm Kioku."

"What a nice name that is." Mother Bear smiled. "So, how did you run into my Little Bear?"

"Err..", Kioku couldn't say that he was sucked into a magic book. So he came up with something from the top of his head. "I'm...new around here..." Kioku laughed nervously.

"Kioku whipped Trouble, Mother Bear! Trouble tried to eat us, but Kioku saved us both of our skins!" Little Bear cheered, explaining Kioku's fight with the mountain lion.

"Well you don't say?" Mother Bear smiled, placing her hands on her hips. "I've never heard anyone who's actually fought that troublesome mountain lion."

"Yeah, it was nothing.." Kioku chuckled, putting his hands behind his head. "Well why don't you come on in the kitchen, I'm baking cookies. You two must be starving." Mother Bear said, leading the two to the kitchen

* * *

 ** _-Minutes later-_**

Kioku and Little Bear waited patiently at the table. Mother Bear seemed to be having trouble with the stove, as she could not get it to light.

"Dagnabit!" Mother Bear exclaimed. "What is it, Mother Bear?" Little Bear asked. Mother Bear turned around and wiped her forehead. "I'm sorry Little Bear, it looks like I won't be able to bake any cookies sweetheart."

"Aw, that's too bad, huh?" Kioku groaned. Little Bear sighed. "Yeah, and they were chocolate chip cookies too."

Mother Bear rubbed her son's fur in support. "Don't worry, when your Father Bear decides to fix the stove, I promise to bake you cookies. Until then.." She then walked out of the kitchen, disappointed that she couldn't bake cookies for her son and Kioku. Little Bear sighed. Kioku looked on in pity, until he got an idea. His lips curled into a smile.

"Hey," Kioku cheesed. "I bet I could fix your stove, Little Bear."

Little Bear perked up. "Really, you can?"

"Watch this!", Kioku summoned his Keyblade, he opened the stove up and aimed his Keyblade. "Fire!" the teen used a Firaga spell on the stove, making it light it up. Little Bear's face lit up in happiness.

"Mother Bear! Father Bear! Come here! Kioku fixed the stove for us!" Mother Bear and Father Bear came running into the kitchen, seeing that the stove was lit and ready for baking. She smiled. "Why thank you, Kioku." Mother Bear said. "That was very kind of you."

"But I must ask, how did you do it?" Father Bear asked.

"Um I-" Kioku stuttered nervously. "With magic!" Little Bear interrupted. Kioku paused and soon nodded. "Um..yeah!"

"Is that so?" Father Bear asked. "Now usually I wouldn't believe it, as we were trying to fix that stove since yesterday. But it seems like you've managed to fix it somehow." Father Bear smiled. "Thank you."

Kioku chuckled. "No problem."

"Now, how about I start making those cookies?" Mother Bear said, as she took the cookie dough out of the refrigerator.

"Uh huh!" Kioku and Little Bear exclaimed happily in unison.

* * *

 ** _-Meanwhile on the outside world-_**

"I don't understand," Patrick said. "There's a world inside of a storybook?" He asked.

"Yeah, I've heard of reading taking you to another place. But not in literal terms." Spongebob shrugged.

"That's what I meant when I said the book is special. Inside of it is a world." Mr. Wizard said. "And like any other world, it also has a keyhole."

"Wow! So do you think the book pulled Kioku in because it wants him to seal it's keyhole?" Patrick speculated. Mr. Wizard rubbed his chin. "Eh, maybe.."

"We'll just have to see." Mr. Wizard. "I'm sure Kioku is handling himself very well in there."

* * *

 **-Adventurous Forest-**

After Kioku fixed the stove, Mother Bear baked a batch of cookies for the boys. Which the both of them devoured. Kioku slumped in his seat. "Gosh! I'm so full!"

"You can say that again." Little Bear pat his stomach. "Those were really good cookies, Mother Bear!" Mother Bear tittered as she scrubbed the two boy's plates in the sink. "I'm glad you boys enjoyed your snacks."

Little Bear turned to the teen, "C'mon Kioku, let's go play some more!" the cub suggested cheerfully. "All right, let's go." Kioku nodded. The two headed for the door.

"This time, you'll meet the rest of my friends!" Little Bear smiled.

* * *

 ** _-Adventurous Forest: Willow Tree Hilltop-_**

Kioku and Little Bear headed to the Willow Tree Hilltop to meet up with Little Bear's friends. There was an Owl, a Hen, a black and white Cat, a yellow Duck, a monkey named Mitzi, a human girl and her dog named Tutu. The two walked up to the group.

"Hi guys!" Little Bear waved. "Why, hello there Little Bear." Owl greeted.

"Who's your friend?" Duck asked. "His clothes are funny!"

Kioku sighed at the Duck's comment, which made Little Bear snicker as a result. "Guys, this is Kioku. I met him in the woods earlier today." Little Bear said, introducing Kioku to his circle of friends. "Hiya." Kioku waved.

Hen waddled up to Kioku and looked him up and down. "He looks like a fine young man."

"So Kioku, what have you and Little Bear been up to?" Emily, the human girl asked. Kioku rubbed his chin as he recounted the moment's before, "Well, we took down that mountain lion named Trouble and then I fixed Little Bear's stove and we baked cookies!"

Cat gasped, "You fixed Little Bear's stove?"

Duck gasped, "You beat up Trouble?"

"Gee Kioku," Mitzi, the monkey, commented. "You really seem to have been doing a lot of good deeds since you've been here."

"And get this, Kioku can do magic tricks!" Little Bear exclaimed. "Oh, I love magic tricks." Emily clapped. "Can you show us one?"

Kioku scratched his head. "Well, it's not really magic tricks and I wouldn't want to waste energy on magic, so.."

"Aww, well that's too bad." Duck groaned. "How about we play hide and seek instead?"

"Ooh! Hide and Seek sounds fun!" Cat cheered.

"I'm game." Kioku smiled, liking the idea of the game.

"Alright then!" Little Bear shouted. He then tagged Kioku. "Kioku's it!"

Everyone then ran off into the forest, leaving Kioku by himself.

"Well, here goes nothing." Kioku muttered before he ran into the forest to find them all.

* * *

Kioku jogged around the forest in hopes of finding at least one of them. He looked left and right, until he heard a quack in the bushes. "QUACK, QUACK!"

The boy turned around, smirking. He lunged for the bushes and pulled out Duck. "Aw phooey! You caught me!" Duck frowned. "How'd you know?"

Kioku laughed warmly. "Just a feeling, Duck."

He set her down. "Wanna help me find the others?"

"Uh huh! Let's catch them!" Duck quacked happily. Kioku and Duck walked off to find they rest of their friends.

* * *

 ** _-Meanwhile-_**

Trouble lingered behind, stalking Kioku and Duck silently. The mountain lion snarled and ran off into the forest.

* * *

 ** _-Adventurous Forest: Lake-_**

Kioku and Duck worked together to find the rest of their friends. As the two were walking along the lake, Kioku heard a sound in the wate and turned to look. Duck looked up at the boy and tugged at his pants. "Kioku, are you okay?" Duck asked.

"Yeah, why don't you go ahead. I'll catch up." Kioku insisted. "Oh," Duck said hesitantly. "O-Okay,"

Duck trotted into the forest ahead. Kioku knelt down and stared at the lake. Coming out of the lake was a beautiful mermaid with dark blue hair styled with a purple flower, golden sea shell earrings, and lavender skin. "Hey there." Kioku smiled.

"Hello, I am Mermaid." the mermaid said. Kioku laughed, "Well, I can see that."

"I have come to warn you of the 'trouble' that is ahead." Mermaid warned.

Kioku gasped. "Really? You can't be serious."

"The mountain lion who preys on your friends, still lurks in the shadows, Kioku." Mermaid said. "You need to be cautious and protect them before they end up being preyed on." Kioku stood up. "Darn it. I thought I got rid of that thing for good."

He nodded at Mermaid. "Hey, thanks for the heads up." Kioku then took off into the forest.

* * *

 _ **-Adventurous Forest: Willow Tree Way-**_

Kioku entered the forest full of Willow trees. He looked around for Duck, who he had told to wait for him. "Duck!" Kioku called. "Duck, where are you?!"

Kioku sighed. "Where could that duck have run off to?" Frantic screaming was then heard in the distance, along with loud snarling and growling. Kioku's heart jumped. "Oh no!" Kioku gasped. He summoned his Keyblade and ran to the scene. When he got there, he saw Trouble circling around everyone. Little Bear called out to the teen.

"Kioku! Do something!" Little Bear cried. Duck and Hen got antsy and they both ran off further into the forest, making the rest of them follow mindlessly.

"Duck! Hen! Wait!" Owl shouted. "Don't leave us behind!" Emily yelled.

Trouble growled and chased after them. Kioku sighed with annoyance and pursued them.

* * *

 ** _-Adventurous Forest: Eerie Woods-_**

Kioku carefully tread through the dark, scary woods in search of Little Bear and his friends. Along with that vicious mountain lion, Trouble. Kioku kept a tight grip on his Keyblade as he cautiously and carefully walked. The air blew cold against his skin, and the sound of the chirping birds had ceased.

"AAHHHH!" Screaming echoed throughout the woods, making Kioku dash towards the sound. Soon, he saw the group being cornered by Trouble.

Trouble lowered her stance, ready to pounce. Kioku ran as fast as he could, and then leapt into the air. "Haa!" Just as Trouble jumped at them, Kioku flew down and struck Trouble's claws and threw him back to the ground. Kioku landed in front of the group and got in a stance with his Keyblade.

"Kioku!" Little Bear exclaimed. The teen looked back, "Are you guys okay?" Kioku asked.

"No, Emily's been hurt!" Owl cried. Kioku looked back, seeing Emily on the ground, with a deep gash on her calf.

The boy aimed his Keyblade at Emily's wound, "Heal!"

As Kioku cast Curaga, a green light and a few leaves washed over her wound and treated it rather quickly. Emily stood up and cheered. "I feel a lot better!" She smiled. "Thank you!"

"Now, get outta here!" Kioku ordered. "I've got this!"

"Be careful Kioku, there's something different about Trouble!" Mitzi said. "There's a scary feeling about him that I can't shake."

Trouble snarled, a dark aura flowing around it."No way, this mountain lion's heart is literally overflowing with darkness." Kioku muttered.

"Hurry! Go, now!" Kioku bluntly instructed. Little Bear nodded and lead the group away to safety. Kioku turned his attention back to Trouble.

"Time to play, cat!" Kioku shouted.

* * *

 _ **(INFORMATION: Put a stop to Trouble once and for all!)**_

 _ **(Boss Theme: Squirming Evil)**_

Trouble snarled and cloaked itself with darkness and charged quickly at Kioku, knocking him right on his feet. "Gaahh!"

Kioku quickly rolled back to his feet. He jumped up and smacked Trouble around with his Keyblade, he then cocked back and landed a another swat making it fly back. Trouble growled as it got back up and ran into the bushes. The boy could hear the lion moving around the area, keeping itself hidden. Kioku looked around for it. "Here, kitty kitty.."

He heard rustling with the bushes near him and out jumped Trouble. The mountain lion swiped Kioku with it's claws and managed to nick him in the side. Kioku excalimed in pain and held his wound as blood seeped through his fingers and black wisps exited from his wound. "Damn...it got me.." Kioku grunted in pain. Trouble dashed towards him and swiped again, Kioku rolled out of the way of the claws this time. He swatted at the mountain lion and managed to get a hit on him. He jumped back as Trouble swiped two more times. Kioku tripped over himself and fell back on his behind.

"Ouch," Kioku grunted. Trouble slowly closed in on him, threatening to maul him. Kioku tried his best to get away. Trouble snarled and pounced at the downed key bearer, Kioku forced up his Keyblade in defense and then he heard shouting.

"Look out below!"

Mitzi came in swinging on a vine. She kicked Trouble out of Kioku's way. Soon after, Little Bear ran in wielding a branch along with, Emily who was also wielding a branch. Duck and Hen waddled in alongside Cat, while Owl soared in beside them. They all got in front of Kioku, defending him from Trouble. Kioku looked up at them, shocked that they had come to his rescue. "Wha-?"

"You risked your life to save me," Little Bear started. "..and was willing to do it again."

"But now, it's our turn to save you!" Duck said, smiling at Kioku. The boy looked at them all and smiled. He managed to stand up to his feet. He pulled out a Potion and quickly treated his wound. After that, he joined the front line. "Well then, let's take him down all together!" Kioku said gallantly.

"HEAVE!" They all shouted in unison. "HO!"

They all charged at the mountain lion. Trouble growled as if it was trying to scare them all off, but it didn't work. Kioku swatted at Trouble and cartwheeled out of the way as Little Bear and Emily attacked the mountain lion swiftly with a frenzy of bludgeon hits, they jumped out of the way as Duck and Hen waddled in and pecked at Trouble, it really didn't do anything. Mitzi jumped in and slapped Trouble with her tail right before Owl flew in and slashed the mountain lion with his talons.

"Kioku!" Little Bear shouted, signaling for him to get the final hit. Kioku nodded and dashed towards Trouble. All of his friends moved out of the way, and Kioku flipped into the air and delivered a swift and hard swipe from his Keyblade, knocking the mountain lion back into a tree. Trouble slammed again the ground, and scattered away from them, escaping into the dark abyss of the forest. After everything had calmed down, they all celebrated their victory.

Kioku turned to the others and laughed. "Thanks you guys, without your help I would have been a goner!"

"Don't mention it, Kioku!" Little Bear smiled. "You helped us, so we helped you!"

The teen laughed and ruffled Little Bear's fur, making the cub giggle.

* * *

 ** _-Adventurous Forest: Starry Night Hill-_**

Kioku, Little Bear and all of his friends sat on the hill, and looked up at the star filled night sky. "Gee, today's sure been an eventful day." Little Bear said. "We stood up to that mean ol' mountain lion," Little Bear

"We played a fun game of Hide and Seek too!" Duck cheered. Little Bear giggled. "Oh yeah, I liked that too!"

As Kioku looked up at the star filled sky, he was reminded of the times him, Yoru and Taiyo used to sit on the hill overlooking the town and watched the meteor shower.

* * *

 _"Wow! Look at that!" Kioku exclaimed happily._

 _"Look at it zip across the sky!" Taiyo laughed._

 _"So cool!" Yoru smiled._

 _As they continued to watch, Taiyo started to get a bit scared. She clung onto Kioku._

 _"Huh? What's wrong Taiyo?" Kioku asked._

 _Taiyo looked up shyly, "Wha-What if a meteor hits the town? I don't want to lose my home!"_

 _Kioku smirk and stood up. "Don't be scared!"  
_

 _He pointed his wooden sword to the sky. "If a meteor dares to come crashing towards our kingdom, I'll smack it back into outer space with a single swipe of my Zweihander!" Kioku stutter, trying to pronounce "Zweihander"._

 _Yoru snickered and pointed his wooden sword to the sky as well. "I'll help too,"_

 _Taiyo held on the both of them and smiled. "Thank you, my loyal knights!"_

* * *

Kioku smiled as the memories flowed through his mind. The boy stood up and stretched. "Well, I'm off."

"Kioku, where are you going?" Emily asked. "I'm going to find my friends, they're waiting for me." Kioku explained.

"Well, I wish you good luck Kioku!" Owl said.

"Be sure to come back to visit!" Hen said.

Kioku waved and jumped down. He started to walk across the log, then his Keyblade was summoned. A keyhole appeared in the starry sky. The teen aimed it and sealed it with a beam. A loud locking sound was heard afterwards. Kioku nodded to himself and walked into the forest. Soon, a shooting star zipped across the sky.

"Look, a shooting star!" Duck shouted. "Make a wish! Make a wish!"

"My wish," Little Bear started. "I wish Kioku would come back to visit some day!"

* * *

 ** _-Daybreak Town: Magical Study-_**

Spongebob, Patrick and Mr. Wizard sat around, hoping that Kioku would come out of the book. Suddenly, the book opened by itself and a bright light emitted from it. Spongebob's eyes grew big and he jumped up. "Holy mackerel! Patrick, Mr. Wizard! Look at the book!" Mr. Wizard wiped his eyes and looked at the book. Jumping out of the book frantically, was Kioku. He landed on the floor and caused a loud ruckus. Spongebob and Patrick rushed over to him and gave him a big hug. "Oh Kioku, buddy! You're back!" Spongebob cheered.

"We thought we lost you for good!" Patrick cried. Mr. Wizard approached the key bearer and helped up him. "So Kioku, what did you see while you were in there?"

"There's world inside of there!" Kioku answered.

"Did it have a keyhole?" Mr. Wizard asked. The teen nodded. "Well then, I must have been correct." Mr. Wizard smirked.

"YIPPEE! We sealed all of the keyholes!" Spongebob cheered. "So far.."

"Kioku, now you must venture off to Hollow Bastion and defeat Vlad Plasmius once and for all." Mr. Wizard said. "But, that world is pretty far, I'm not sure you'll make it in one piece."

"That's no problem." Spongebob chuckled, "We can get another Gummi installed on our ship, to insure a safe sailing to Hollow Bastion!"

"Well then, I wish you all good luck." Mr. Wizard said, giving them a thumbs up.

* * *

 ** _-Daybreak Town: Neutron Accessories-_**

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick waited outside while Jimmy installed a Gummi on the ship. Kioku started to get a bit emotional, as he thought more about Yoru and Taiyo. Patrick caught on. "Now Kioku, remember what we said to you. No frowning and no sad faces!"

"How can you be so cheerful?" Kioku burst out. "There's still no sign of your king! Aren't you worried?"

"Aw, tartar sauce.." Patrick sighed. "The king told us to go out and find the key bearer, and we found you!" Spongebob smiled. " _Sooo_ , as long as we stick together, it'll work out just fine!"

"Just believe in yourself, Kioku!" Patrick cheered. "Just..believe..?" Kioku muttered, slumping his head down slightly.

 _"I believe in you."_ A familiar voice rang in his ears. Kioku closed his eyes and he felt like was being taken to another place.

* * *

 _Kioku found himself flying through space, and even time. He flew towards a bright and shining light. The light got closer and closer, until the light enveloped him and everything around him was white._

 _The light was cleared and he found himself in a library. He saw an elderly woman, sitting in a rocking chair. On her lap was a small girl, who looked to be the at the age of 4. Her dark brown hair reached the back of her neck and almost touched her shoulders. She wore a yellow dress with dark maroon sandles._

 _Kioku tried to speak, but he could get the words to come out. 'Where am I?"_

 _The elderly woman started to tell her granddaughter a story._

 _"Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of light._

 _Everyone loved the light. Then people began to fight over it. They wanted to keep it for themselves._

 _And darkness was born in their hearts. The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people's hearts._

 _It covered everything, and the world disappeared. But small fragments of light survived, in the hearts of children._

 _With these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost world. It's the world we live in now._

 _But the true light sleeps, deep within the darkness._

 _That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other._

 _But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open and the true light will return._

 _So, listen, child. Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you._

 _Believe in the light, and the darkness will never defeat you._

 _Your heart will shine with its power and push the darkness away._

 _Do you understand..Taiyo?"_

 _'Taiyo?!" Kioku shouted mentally._

 _The girl was left standing in front of the empty chair, looking around for her grandmother. Kioku reached out to little Taiyo, but it felt like he couldn't reach far enough. Soon, little Taiyo had faded away and a bright light overtook Kioku._

* * *

Kioku opened his eyes and he found himself back in front of Jimmy's shop, with Spongebob and Patrick standing in front of him. "What's the matter?" Patrick asked.

"Uh..nothing.." Kioku said, shaking his head. "I just zoned out,"

"Taiyo..did you call me?" Kioku muttered to himself. Jimmy came out of the shop and wiped sweat from his forehead. "Hey fellas, I installed your Navi Gummi for you."

The boy then gave the three a worried look, "But y'know, that place is crawling with Heartless. Please, be careful."

"Thanks, Jimmy." Kioku nodded. He turned to Spongebob and Patrick. "Well, let's get going." He nodded.

The three then rushed out to the Gummi Ship and got ready to set sail to Hollow Bastion, the once peaceful world turned into a nesting ground for the Heartless. And not to mention, where the villains who harassed Kioku along the way reside.

* * *

- **Winslow's Journal-  
**

 ***Little Bear:** _a small, curious grizzly cub who lives in the forest with his family and friends. He likes to go on adventures around the forest and play games. **He was an adventurous bear in "Little Bear (1995)".**  
_

 _ ***Duck:** A playful duck who lives in the forest. Slow and smart at the same time, Duck is one who gets herself into comical situations. **She was Little Bear's friend in "Little Bear (1995)".  
**_

 _ ***Owl:**_ A _pompous, yet very wise owl. He lives in a treehouse, and can be quite serious at times._ _He enjoys fun games, he will only participate if the gameplay is sensible. **He was one of Little Bear's wise friends in "Little Bear (1995)".**  
_

 _ ***Cat:** a laidback, slothful cat who enjoys prowling at night, playing tricks on passersby, and eating. **He loved taking shortcuts in "Little Bear (1995)".** _

_***Hen:**_ A _fussy, feisty chicken who lives in a large chicken coop. She is classy, sophisticated and enjoys cleanliness._ _**She never turned down the opportunity for fun in "Little Bear (1995)".**_

 _ ***Emily:** A girl who lives in the forest with her grandmother. She is the only human in Little Bear's circle of friends._ _Emily carries around a doll named Lucy everywhere she goes and is very attached to her. **She was the only human in "Little Bear (1995)".**  
_


	21. Chapter 20: The One With the Key

**_Chapter 20: The One With The Key_**

 _ **(Field Theme: Hollow Bastion)**_

 ** _-Hollow Bastion: Rising Falls-_**

After arriving in the world, Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick floated down on top of a single, concrete platform that was big enough for the three of them. Around them was a wall of reversing waterfalls. And In front of them were a bunch of light blue stationary platforms that lead up to the gates that lead to somewhere else. Spongebob looked up and pointed, "Guys! Look at that!"

Kioku and Patrick looked at further before them. When the boy looked, he felt the same warm feeling his heart that he felt from before. Kioku held his heart. "I know this place." he uttered.

"I dunno why, but I feel this warmth right here in my heart.." Kioku muttered.

Patrick chuckled, "You're probably just hungry." he said.

Kioku snapped. "Pat! I'm serious!" The key bearer yelled. Suddenly, they heard two loud, painful shouts from up ahead. Kioku summoned his Keyblade. "Let's go."

"Be careful not to fall in the water below!" Spongebob warned. "Now, let's hurry!" The three hopped from platform to platform, making their way up to the gate. It was a pretty long way up, but when they got there they saw Yoru standing by a broken gate, with another boy on a nearby platform. The boy had shaggy, snow white hair. He wore a black jumpsuit and white shoes with black soles. He also a white vest with a hoodie, which had a D symbol on the left side. On his hands were black, fingerless gloves. Laying next to the boy was to Kioku's surprise, was Shrek, who was also roughed up.

The boy was kneeling down in pain, he looked pretty roughed up. Yoru had an evil smirk on his face as he had started to taunt the two. "No vessel, no help from the Heartless.." Yoru said. "Tell me, how did you two get here?"

The boy grunted, "I..I believed..there's nothing..m-more to it..."

"When our world fell into darkness, Sam was taken from me and my friend Tucker was killed by the Heartless and my family fell into darkness along with my world!" The boy yelled. "Then, I vowed that would find her again, and avenge my best friend!" The boy went on. "I believed that I would find her, and here I am. She must be here.."

Shrek growled, "You took Fiona from me! Give her back!"

Yoru laughed. "Take her back! If you can.."

The boy growled and thrust his hand out and fired a blast of raw energy at Yoru, who quickly extinguished it by swiping at it with his blade. The boy hopped from platform to platform and jumped into the air, he dipped down and threw a sharp kick, which was blocked effortlessly. Yoru and the boy traded blows, back and forth. The boy created a green ethereal blade out of pure energy and started to swipe wildly at him. Shrek soon assisted the boy in battle, but was quickly done in by Yoru, who had then countered and threw his fist into the boy's ribs, making him grunt out in pain, bits of blood coming out of his mouth. The boy dropped to his knees briefly before Yoru picked him back up and slammed his knee into his gut.

"Gaaahhh!" The boy cried in pain. Yoru smirk and threw him back to the ground. The boy groaned and his form reverted. His hair was black, and he wore a white t-shirt with red trimming, a black vest hoodie and light blue jeans with red canvas sneakers. He also had thick red cloth bands on his wrists.

Yoru laughed and walked towards the downed boy, he pointed his blade at him. "Pitiful, and here I thought you'd put up a decent fight."

"Stop!" Kioku yelled, hopping up to them with Spongebob and Patrick following. He stood next to the two, glaring at Yoru. "So, you finally made it." Yoru sighed. "It's about time! I've been waiting for you.."

"We've always been rivals, haven't we?" Yoru went on. "You've always pushed me, and I've always pushed you."

"But, it ends here." Yoru slightly raised his voice. "There can't be two Keyblade masters!"

Kioku scoffed. "What are you talking about?" Yoru's lips curled into a demented smile. "Let the Keyblade choose it's true master!"

Yoru held out his hand. Kioku's Keyblade then appeared in his hand and pulled his arm forward, as if it was trying to leave him. Kioku held on desperately, trying to pull it back. But then after a few seconds, it disappeared. Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick gasped in shock. And in Yoru's hand, in a flash of light, appeared Kioku's Keyblade.

The boy chuckled. "Vlad was right, you don't have what it takes to save Taiyo! It's all up to me." Yoru said, holding the Keyblade up into the air. "Only the Keyblade master can open the secret door, and change the world all together!"

"But..how..that's," Kioku stuttered, as he was at a lost for words. "That's impossible! How did this happen?!" Kioku shouted. "I'm the one who fought my way here with the Keyblade!" Yoru cut him off. "Hah, you were just the delivery boy.."

"Sorry Kioku, but your part's over now." Yoru scoffed as he took out a wooden sword. "Now, be a good boy and go play Hero and Monsters with this." He tossed the wooden sword over to Kioku far enough so that it landed near his feet. Kioku fell to his knees, his head hanging down. Yoru gave the boy one last look before he turned and walked away.

Spongebob and Patrick walked forward. "Patrick..let's go." The sponge said. "We have to remember our mission."

Patrick hesitated. "I know the king told us to follow the key and all..but.." He looked back at Kioku, who was on the ground wallowing in his sorrow. Spongebob and Patrick continued to walk forward until Spongebob turned around. "Kioku..I'm sorry.."

The two then left. The boy and Shrek got up and slowly limped forward. Kioku looked up, watching the two slowly make their way. The two limped as far as he could, and they both collasped on the ground, still wounded from the fight with Yoru. Kioku quickly got up and ran to assist them. "Don't move. You're hurt.."

Shrek looked up at Kioku, "Nice to see you again, eh Kioku?"

The boy panted, he looked up at Kioku with his clear, blue eyes. The teen spoke softly, "Why did you come here?"

"I came to fight for Sam," Danny answered. "And my best friend Tucker and my family." The boy said, standing up to his feet. "Even though I'm alone, I'll fight.. I'm not gonna leave this place without her. That's why I'm here.."

Shrek stood up, "Same reason as him. I couldn't just sit around and twiddle my thumbs. I knew I had to save Fiona."

Kioku looked back at the wooden sword and picked it up. He stood side by side with the two. In that moment, Kioku, Shrek and that boy had shared something in common. They all lost someone important to them, and they will fight until they can see them again. Kioku may have lost the Keyblade, but he didn't lose his will to find Taiyo. "Me too..I ain't giving up now." Kioku said, determination in his voice. "I came to this place to find someone very important to me."

"My name is Danny Phantom." The boy said. "Who are you?"

"I'm Kioku." The teen said.

"The name's Shrek. And it's a pleasure to fight alongside you again, Kioku." The ogre smiled. The teen smiled and gave the ogre a polite nod.

Danny transformed in his Ghost Form, gaining his white haired and black jumpsuit appearance. "Let's go."

* * *

 _ **(Danny has joined you!)**_

 _ **(Shrek has joined you!)**_

 _-Party Member info: Danny Phantom_

 _Attacks:_

 _ **Ecto Blasts:** Danny fires volleys of energy blasts at the enemy._

 _ **Ethereal Combo:** Danny constructs an Ethereal blade out of energy and attacks the enemy with fast combos._

 _ **Repulsion Field:** Similar to Reflega, Danny can expel a large amount of ecto-energy from all his body in order to repel his enemies._

 _ **Cryokenesis:** Danny shoots beams of ice, similar to Blizzaga._

 _ **Pyrokenisis:** Danny shoots fireballs, similar to Firaga._

 _ **Electrokeneis:** Danny rains down lighting bolts, similar to Thundaga._

 ** _Ghost Time:_** _Danny freezes one or more enemies in time, similar to Stopga.  
_

* * *

 **-Hollow Bastion: Castle Gates-**

The three observed the castle doors. Noticing that the were closed and locked tight. "We're gonna need to down into the Waterways and find the switch to open the door." Danny said. "How do you know?" Kioku asked.

"We did a little exploring beforehand." Danny replied "as he gestured to Shrek. Those bubbles down there, will take us down to the Waterways. But the Heartless are down there, so we gotta be careful." Kioku gripped his wooden sword, sighing deeply. "All right, let's go." The three dropped down to the water surface and got ready to go inside of the bubble. The bubble quickly took them to the Waterways.

* * *

 ** _-Hollow Bastion: Waterways-_**

After taking the bubble, they reached the Waterways. A dark, cold, dungeon like place. Danny fired an ectoblast at a rusty door of bars, and earned them a way to the gates that hid the switch that opened the castle door. "Let's find that switch." Danny ordered. Kioku, Shrek and Danny got ready for a small quest to find the switch

* * *

 _-Hollow Bastion: Grand Hall-_

Vlad, Vicky and Bowser lingered around the room, where all of the Princesses of Heart were being held captive.

 _Princess Peach, from her world, Mushroom Kingdom._

 _Princess Zelda, from the world she was being held captive, Hollow Bastion._

 _Astral, from the world, Athenia._

 _Sam Manson, from the world, Amity Park._

 _Tootie, from the world, Dimmsdale._

 _Princess Fiona, from the world, Far Far Away._

 _And finally, Taiyo._

The three villains strolled into the hall and looked over at the captive princesses, who were all in a separate pod. Except for Taiyo, who was floating near the ground, her body cloaked in a pink aura.

"Finally, everything's coming into place.." Vicky smirked. "Gwahaha! You said it!" Bowser roared. "Soon, we'll have all of the worlds in the palm of our hands!"

"Too bad those other jerks couldn't live to see it." Vicky scoffed, referring to Ganondorf and Calamitous, who were defeated by Kioku.

"Enough talk!" Plankton shouted as he hopped onto Vicky's shoulder. "This moment is so close, I can almost taste it.." Plankton drooled. Vicky cringed in disgust and flicked him off of her. Everything went quiet.

Vlad held out his arms. "O purest of hearts! Reveal to us, the Keyhole!"

On each of the princesses' chests, a beam of light was emitted into the air. The beams merged together and directed itself towards a large Heartless Emblem-shaped portal. Vlad, Vicky and Bowser looked on as the beam of light struck the portal.

* * *

 ** _-Meanwhile in the Waterways-_**

After Kioku, Shrek and Danny destroyed the last gate and took an elevator up to a higher floor and destroyed another gate, which revealed a room with the switch. Lit candles sat on the dressers, illuminating the sewer-like room. The switch sat in the middle of a wall of gears.

"This is it, Kioku." Danny said. Kioku nodded. He walked forward and shoved the switch in. As he did that, the gears and machinery got began to turn and operate. The two looked around as the gears whirred and turned. "The door must be open now.." Kioku said. "C'mon guys, let's head back up to the castle gates."

A light blue wisp escaped Danny's lips. Shrek looked over at him. "What's wrong?"

Suddenly, Heartless emerged all around them. A new type of Heartless, Defender, resembled a knight clad in purple and blue armor with white trim and yellow buttons; they also have the tell-tale Heartless zig-zag jawline, with a purple head and a silver jaw. The arms and torso are also proportioned much larger than the head and legs, the arm not holding the Defender's main weapon actually rests ape-like on the ground.

It wielded a shield, the barrier portion of the shield is a simple blue and light blue pattern with gold trim, but far more prominent is the very large and very dangerous blue-black dog head, complete with sharp fangs and spiked collar. The dog also has three glowing yellow eyes arranged in a triangle formation.

"Damn, the Heartless found us!" Danny exclaimed.

Kioku almost whipped his his hand out as if he wanted to summon the Keyblade, but he remembered that he couldn't. Kioku sighed and thrust his hand out and shot a Blizzard spells at the Heartless, who were knocked back. "I may not have the Keyblade, but I didn't lose my magic!" Kioku smirked.

Danny slashed at a Defender and roundhouse kicked another into oblivion.

"We don't have time to fight, these things'll be chasing us." Shrek yelled. "Let's go!"

Kioku, Shrek and Danny escaped the Waterways in a bubbled and returned to the Rising Falls.

* * *

 ** _-Hollow Bastion: Rising Falls-_**

Kioku, Shrek and Danny fell on the concrete platform at the far bottom of the castle gates. Heartless emerged on every single platform. Danny glared with his neon green eyes.

"You guys take the right, and I'll take the left." Kioku ordered.

"Let's do it." Danny nodded.

"Aye.." Shrek smirked. Kioku, Shrek and Danny jumped to the opposite sides and started to work their way up, defeating the Heartless on the way up.

* * *

 _ **(Battle Theme: Scherzo Di Notte)**_

Kioku whipped his hands around as he casts nothing offensive spells, occasionally throwing in a roundhouse. Danny fired count ectoblasts and slashed away at the Heartless with his Ethereal sword. Shrek used his brawn to quickly make work of the powerful Heartless. They were halfway up, clearing out all of the Heartless. Yoru thinks that just because he stole Kioku's Keyblade, it would break his will. But little did he know, it only made Kioku stronger. As another Firaga spell scorched a Defender Heartless, Kioku flipped up to the next platform and froze another Heartless with Blizzaga and smashed it to pieces with his wooden sword.

The three made their way up to the castle gates and hurried to the front.

* * *

 ** _-Hollow Bastion: Castle Gates-_**

Kioku, Shrek and Danny reached the Castle Gates, and immediately they were met by a horde of Heartless. They all looked at each other and nodded. "Let's go!" Kioku yelled as he and the other two hovered into the air. They quickly teleported around and rapidly fired ectoblasts and magic. Danny hovered around three Defenders and ferally clawed them into the air.

"Kioku!" Shrek shouted as he pulled the hovering Kioku towards him and the Heartless. They then slashed at the Heartless in perfect synchronization using only their 'claws'. The teen knocked them down to the ground.

"Let's finish this!" Kioku, Shrek and Danny plunged the ground continuously until all of the Heartless were ground to dust. The two landed on the ground and looked around for any Heartless. Seeing that they defeated all of the Heartless guarding the gates.

"Let's get in there," the teen shouted, pointing his wooden sword towards the gates. The three quickly raced towards the large Castle Doors. They pushed them open, and behind the doors was a dark abyss of mystery. Until they walked in.

* * *

 ** _-Hollow Bastion: Entrance Hall-_**

Kioku, Shrek and Danny entered the entrance hall and cautiously looked around. Everything seemed to be fine, as there wasn't a single Heartless in sight. "Be on your guard." Danny warned. "They're close, I can feel it."

"Are you ready for them?" Shrek asked, looking at the both of them.

"You bet." Kioku nodded. The three walked forward, but Shrek was startled as he had felt someone's presence behind them. He spun around and saw a female ogre, the one he had fought his way to this world to find and rescue. Shrek's eyes grew big. "F-Fiona?!"

Danny looked back, "What is it, big guy?"

The image of Fiona then slowly turned into a Shadow, eerily dancing in place. The illusion caused Shrek to nearly lash out. "Damn! Damn you!"Shrek yelled as he ran at the Heartless. Danny reached out to him and tried to stop him, but the ogre had shoved him out of the way.

"Hey, wait!" Danny shouted as he quickly chased after the ogre just as the doors came shut. "Danny!" Kioku called out, but the boy had already went chasing after the enraged ogre. Kioku cursed under his breath. "Damn it..."

"Quit while you can..." Yoru's voice said suddenly, nearly startling the teen. Kioku spun around and saw Yoru, Spongebob and Patrick all standing before him. Kioku shook his head, "Never, not without Taiyo!"

Yoru laughed and he transformed into another costume. His torso, arms, and legs are covered in black and red material that resembles muscle tissue. On his chest is a symbol of the Heartless, except that the cross is not there, and he has a white cloth around his waist.

"That darkness will destroy you, Kioku.." The boy said in a sinister tone.

"You're wrong, Yoru." Kioku denied. "The darkness may rip my body to shreds, but it can't touch my heart. My heart will stay with my friends. It'll never die!" Kioku declared, touching his heart. "Really now? Let's just see how strong your heart is!" Yoru shouted. He fired a dark ball of flames from his palms. Kioku gasped and shieled himself with his hands. The teen saw his life flash before his eyes, and bright light shined in his eyes.

When the light cleared, Patrick had blocked Yoru's attack with his two shields. "Kioku's not going anywhere!" Patrick yelled.

Yoru scoffed, "You'd betray your king?" he asked.

"No way!" Patrick shook his head. "I'm not gonna betray Kioku either! He's one of my bestest buddies after all the things we've been through!" He explained, looking back at the shocked Kioku. He turned to Yoru and Spongebob. "Bye Spongebob! Can you tell King Krabs that I'm sorry?!"

"One mintute, Patrick!" Spongebob yelled back. "We'll tell him together!" Spongebob then ran to Kioku and Patrick's side with his staff in his hand.

"All for one and one for all, Kioku!" Spongebob smiled. Patrick cheesed "I guess you're stuck with us, huh?"

"Thanks. Spongebob, Patrick.." Kioku said, his head still hanging. Yoru's voice boomed. "How will you fight without a weapon?"

"I don't need the Keyblade anymore, I've got a better weapon." The teen said. "My heart."

Yoru laughed. "Hahaha! That's rich! What good is your puny, weak heart gonna do while your getting your butt kicked?"

"Although my heart is weak, it's not alone." Kioku said. "It's grown with each new experience, and it's found a home with all the friends I've made." Kioku put a hand to his heart as he remembered that friends he's made on his journey. "I've become a part of all of their hearts, just as they've become a part of mine. And if they think of me now and then, they won't forget about me. Our hearts will be one."

Kioku got into a stance with his wooden sword. "My friends are my power!"

The Keyblade that Yoru held in his hand disappeared. Kioku's wooden sword glew bright, and it shook way more violently than it did before. A lot of power coursed through Kioku's body. A voice rang in his ears.

 _The power of friendship has strenghtened your heart._

 _You have been granted back the power you once wielded, but it's stronger than it was before._

The Guardian Locker Keyblade appeared back into Kioku's hands. The teen gave a grateful smile and got into a stance with it. Yoru growled and stomped his foot. "This isn't fair! I'm supposed to be the Keyblade master! I'm the chosen one!" Yoru cried angrily.

"Your heart is too clouded by darkness." Kioku said. "How can you expect to save Taiyo, when all you want is surround yourself with darkness?"

Yoru snarled. "Shut up! I don't need that stupid Keyblade!" He summoned his previous Soul Eater blade. "I'll still kill you without it!"

* * *

 _ **(INFORMATION: Defeat Yoru!)**_

 _ **(Battle Theme: Violent Intermission)**_

Yoru dashed towards Kioku and swung his Soul Eater. Kioku dodged it and quickly countered by smacking him with the Keyblade. Yoru flew back into the air. "Gahh!" Kioku hopped into the air and constantly whacked him with combos. He spun his Keyblade and knocked him straight intto the ground.

Yoru slammed into the floor, making it crack. The teen flew towards the downed Yoru, who recovered quickly and dashed out of the way of Kioku's next swing. Spongebob ran and hit Yoru over the head with his staff and lifted him into the air with an Aeroga spell. Patrick flipped over Spongebob and hit the ground with his shields, bringing up a few large slabs of earth. He hovered them around himself and smack them all towards Yoru one by one.

Yoru reacted quickly and knocked them all away, making them disperse all about the hall. The darkness powered boy flew towards Spongebob and Patrick in an attempt to slash them. Kioku aimed his Keyblade and used Graviga to force Yoru down on the ground. "Not so fast!" Kioku shouted. He then dashed towards Yoru again and smacked him in the side of the head with his Keyblade, dazing him. He slammed his fist into the other side of Yoru's face, mirroring the punch Yoru gave him when they fought inside of Eureeka's castle.

The teen then wound up his Keyblade and slammed it into his chin, knocking Yoru backwards.

The boy slowly recovered, the side of his face leaking blood along with blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. Yoru wiped his face and laughed. "So, now that you got your Keyblade back, you think you can beat me?!" Yoru laughed. "The darkness..."

Yoru clenched his fists and charged up. He fired a volley of Dark Firaga balls with a single hand. "...Will crush you!"

Kioku swiped the Firaga blasts away and leaped into the air. "That's what you think!" He slashed Yoru diagonally as he landed on the ground in front of him.

* * *

Yoru stumbled forward and knelt down in pain. His darkness suit disappeared, and his regular clothing returned. Yoru panted heavily. He stood up and ran up the stairs leading to another hallway. The doors behind Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick opened and coming through was Danny and Shrek. Danny's hands shoved into the pockets of his vest. "So, your heart won this battle, huh?"

Kioku turned to Danny and nodded. Spongebob and Patrick's eyes widen as they saw Shrek, mostly surprised at the fact that he wasn't in his respective world. "Shrek?! What are you doing here?"

Shrek chuckled, "Long story short. I've come here to rescue Fiona."

The two sea creatures remembered the events shortly before they left Far, Far Away, when Fiona was suddenly kidnapped from the church. "Oh yeah, that's right."

Spongebob then turned to Danny ."Who are you?"

"I'm Danny Phantom. I came here to find my friend Sam.." Danny said. "She was kidnapped when my world fell into darkness."

"We'll help you find her! We're helping Kioku find his friend Taiyo!" Patrick said.

"Yeah, come along with us." Kioku said. "We can help you, as long as you agree to help us."

Danny nodded. "Of course. I'd do anything to help a friend." Kioku and Danny then chuckled and fist bumped.

"Never thought I'd have to team up with you guys again." Shrek laughed, "But after you guys helped me get back my swamp. It's only natural that I return the favor."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Spongebob asked. "Let's go guys, who knows what Vlad and his lackeys are planning."

"You're right." Kioku said. "Let's get in there and save Taiyo." He looked at his Keyblade, "And end all of this.."

Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick, Shrek and Danny ran up the stairs and into the hallway, ready to take on Hollow Bastion head on.

 _ **Just hold on Taiyo, we'll be there in no time.**_


	22. Chapter 21: The Other Key

_**Chapter 21: The Other Key**_

Yoru ran deeper into the castle, as he felt physically drained from his battle with Kioku. His heart began to feel heavier and heavier, feeling like it was going to be crushed. Yoru clutched his chest and knelt down. He panted heavily, almost as if all of his breathing was coming to a close. "Kioku.." Yoru muttered. "Damn it what's the matter with me..? It feel's like I'm about to be flattened."

The boy slowly rested himself on the wall, hoping to regain his strength after a few minutes. But as he waited, nothing was happening.

"My boy, why not just open your heart to darkness?" Vlad's voice echoed in the halls. Yoru looked up at Vlad, who appeared through a corridor of darkness. "You already walked this far into it. Abandon your confusion and walk deeper into darkness.."

"Vlad.." Yoru panted. "I though you were with..the others.." he coughed.

"They are holding down the fort." Vlad stated. "While I have other matters to attend to." The older man smirked. "Now, you need to fully embrace the darkness so that we can finally crush that key bearing nuisance and the king's guards."

Yoru quickly stood up and backed away from Vlad slowly, still panting. "Stay away from me, Plasmius.."

Vlad chuckled. "Fine, if you won't embrace the darkness I'll just have to make you." Vlad walked forward, closing in on Yoru. The boy's eyes were filled with horror, as Vlad's body was engulfed in red flames and dark aura. Yoru saw a bright light and everything else was blank.

"NO!"

* * *

 ** _-Hollow Bastion: Grand Hall-_**

After waiting for nearly an hour for the Hollow Bastion's keyhole to open, the council had grown weary of waiting. Or, Vicky, has grown weary of waiting.

"Damn it! Why isn't the keyhole opened yet!" Vicky yelled angrily. "All of the princesses are here!" The girl growled and slammed her fist into the wall beside her, causing a deep crack to form on impact. "This doesn't make any sense!" Bowser and Plankton backed away in fear, as Vicky's explosive temper scared them.

"It is because the girl has lost her heart." Two familiar voices said in unison, referring to Taiyo. Yoru walked in, his eyes were red and black, instead of purple and he wore his darkness suit. In his hand he held a Keyblade. has a simple design of red and black, with its teeth forming the outline of a heart. It has a rather dark design, despite being created from hearts of pure light. It had no key chain. Yoru's presence felt a lot more ghostly, as if he was an actual ghost.

The three turned around to see a different sounding teen. "Yoru?" Bowser raised his voice into a question.

"What happened to you? And where's Vlad at, he's suppose to be here." Vicky asked, annoyed and fed up from waiting for so long. "He's gonna be _pretty_ mad once he finds out that the keyhole won't open."

Yoru chuckled hauntingly. "You have no idea.."

Plankton glanced over at Yoru, and noticed the Keyblade in his hand. "Hey, he's holding a Keybla-" the plankton started. "This is the power of the crystallization of all Princesses." The boy said, holding up his Keyblade. "The keyhole which leads to darkness will flood the world if it opens."

"Who cares?" Bowser roared. "Were only gonna use that power to rule all worlds, right? If anyone's gonna be consumed by darkness, I ain't gonna be me!" Bowser laughed.

"..Is that right?", Yoru laughed loudly. The boy walked towards the cackling Bowser. "Then let's try it out!"

Yoru shoved the Keyblade right into Bowser's heart, and a bright glow emitted from Bowser's chest. The large Koopa roared in pain. Vicky's eyes grew big. "What are you doing, twerp?!"

"We're suppose to be working together!" Plankton protested. "You can't just use Bowser as some guinea pig!"

"This Keyblade can open the door to people's hearts!" Yoru ignored them. "Release the darkness in them and become one with the darkness!" Yoru shouted. He unsheathed his Keyblade from Bowser, who staggered backward. His eyes were huge with surprise, and before he could say anything, his body then disintegrated into nothingness.

"He was swallowed by his own dark heart." Yoru scoffed. "What a fool he was anyways."

Coming in from behind them was Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick, Shrek and Danny. "Bowser disappeared?!" Kioku shouted in shock.

"Hehe! So next we have to seal the keyhole and then everything's done, right?" Patrick asked cheerfully. Spongebob stopped him. "Patrick, wait!"

Kioku glared at "Yoru". "You're not Yoru.."

Shrek looked the boy up and down, "If it is, he's got bad taste in clothing.." the ogre said, referring to Yoru's dark suit.

Light blue wisps escaped from Danny's lips again and he shot a glare at Yoru. "Don't tell me that's.."

"Yoru" smirked. "I am Vlad Plasmius, Seeker of Darkness."

"VLAD?!" Kioku and his friends exclaimed in surprise. "Tch, no way..Vlad possessed Yoru?" Vicky muttered in shock. "So that's why he left.."

"Possessing another person?" Danny glared. "This guy truly _is_ a fruit loop."

"Danny, my boy." Yoru-Plasmius smiled. "How have you been? You've grown since the last time I saw you."

"You mean the last time you saw my world intact?" Danny yelled. "You kidnapped Sam! The Heartless killed Tucker!"

"Ah yes, what a shame." Yoru-Plasmius said. "You see, I knew your heart was going to be brewing with darkness. And so for a long time, I waited for you to find your way here. But my patience grew thinner and thinner, and my motivation to get you join my side died out." Yoru-Plasmius shrugged. "So for your information, I don't need nor want you for my plans."

"Good! Because I didn't want to be part of your plans anyway, you fruit loop!" Danny shouted. "What I do want, is my revenge..."

Danny dashed towards Yoru-Plasmius and threw a punch. Yoru-Plasmius simply laughed and effortlessly swatted Danny away with his Keyblade. The boy flew and landed on the ground near Kioku and his friends.

"Give Yoru's heart back!" Kioku yelled. Yoru-Plasmius pointed at Kioku and suddenly the teens's heart started to beat rapidly. Kioku felt a heavy force inside of his chest and he collapsed on the floor. "Kioku!" Spongebob exclaimed.

"Hu...ah.." Kioku panted, holding his chest in pain. "Then, you have to return that heart too." Yoru-Plasmius said.

Kioku gasped, "What?"

"Taiyo's heart, which is dormant inside of your body." Yoru-Plasmius said hauntingly. "Taiyo?!" Kioku shouted, as he looked up and saw Taiyo's lifeless body across the room. "Without the Princess' heart, the keyhole can't be completed." The possessed boy explained. Kioku instantly thought back to his dream he had. Taiyo tried to tell him who had her heart. He didn't find out due to him waking up too fast. But now, everything makes sense. Kioku had Taiyo's heart the entire time. 'Taiyo's heart..is inside of me?!'

"You can forget it, Vlad! I ain't gonna give it to you!" Kioku grunted as he stood back up. Yoru-Plasmius' Keyblade emitted black wisps. "Then you will disappear."

"Seal the keyhole, Kioku!" Spongebob yelled. "Once you do that, it'll all be over!"

Kioku summoned his Keyblade and pointed it at the heart-shaped portal. No matter how much he focused, the Keyblade didn't seal the keyhole. The teen gasped. "It won't seal! The Keyblade isn't reacting"

The possessed boy laughed, "That's because the keyhole is incomplete." Yoru-Plasmius said. "It's because the Princess' heart is inside your body." Yoru-Plasmius said, gesturing to Taiyo. He then held out the Keyblade to People's Hearts. "Insert the Keyblade into you chest and open the door to your heart."

"Come. Set it free!" Yoru-Plasmius then disappeared into a corridor of darkness, leaving his Keyblade behind.

Kioku stared at the Keyblade, with Spongebob, Patrick, Shrek and Danny looking at Kioku in worry. The boy dismissed his own Keyblade and walked toward's the other key. He took Yoru-Plamius' Keyblade into his hand. Spongebob and Patrick exclaimed.

"Kioku! No!" Spongebob yelled.

"Don't do it!" Patrick shouted.

Danny shook his head, "Kioku, this is just what Vlad wants you to do!"

"Aye lad! Put the Keyblade down and think this through!" Shrek protested.

Kioku turned around and smiled, "As long as you guys are around, there'll be a way around it."

Vicky and Plankton looked on in complete shock. "Is he gonna do it?" Plankton asked.

"Who knows?" Vicky shrugged.

Kioku made up his mind. He was going to free his heart in order to get Taiyo back. Kioku's will to find Taiyo was the will that got him this far. So he might as well go farther. Kioku closed his eyes and plunged the Keyblade into his chest. He let go of the handle and opened his arms. His glowed bright, and he slowly began to fall. The Keyblade of People's Hearts dispersed, and it turned back into the hearts of the other princesses. The hearts slowly, but surely returned to all of them.

Then, emitting from Kioku's chest, was the heart of Taiyo. It glided towards Taiyo's chest and once it returned to her, she woke up. The keyhole glowed, signaling that it was finished. "KIOKU! KIOKU!" Spongebob yelled as he ran towards the boy.

As Taiyo was standing up, she saw Kioku falling to the floor. She stood up and ran towards him. "Kioku!"

 ** _Taiyo..._**

She ran over to him and tried to catch him, but he disappeared into her hands, dispersing into tiny wisps of light that flew up into the air.

 ** _...I'm sorry..._**

"KIOKU!" Spongebob yelled into air.

"COME BACK!" Patrick sobbed. Danny laid there in shock, along with Shrek looking on in pity

* * *

 _'What's..happening to me..?'_

 _'This happened to me before...will I disappear like this?'_

 _'Disappear..into darkness?'_

* * *

Taiyo, Spongebob and Patrick stood where Kioku stood when he sacrificed himself. A tear streamed down Taiyo's face. "Kioku..are you really-"

"No, he can't be.." The girl shouted, denying Kioku's departure. "I won't let him go!"

Stepping out of the portal, was Vlad, this time as a Heartless. Vlad's hair was longer, nearly touching his back. He wears black gloves on his hands, each with a grey band on the wrist, while the rest of the glove, which has three black buttons lining one side, bells outwards. There is a black pauldron on both of his shoulders, each attached to his coat by two straps. He also wears white pants and black, silver-lined, knee-high boots. Vlad's white leather coat is red on the inside and lined with yellow, and also has a large grey section that covers the lower half and shoulders of the coat. This grey section seems to be attached by several small pins or buttons around the hip and neck sections of the coat, as well as by a belt that wraps around the Heartless's back and attaches to the rim of the coat. This coat is high-collared and completely unzipped, showing the second, shorter jacket the Heartless wears underneath. Vlad's second jacket is black and high-collared much like the outer coat. It is mostly unbuttoned and exposes Vlad's chest before being closed up by three buttons and two belts near the Heartless's waist, only to flare outward again, leaving three buttons undone. On the Heartless's chest is the Heartless emblem, but it seems to be just decoration as it appears attached to the long coat.

"So, you have awakened at last, my princess.." He said. Vicky and Plankton joined Vlad by his side. "The keyhole is now complete, you have served my purpose!" Vlad smirked. "But, now I'm afraid it's over."

"Now, it's time to get rid you all." Vicky laughed. The three slowly moved towards Taiyo. Spongebob took out his staff and pointed it at them. "Don't make another move!"

Patrick summoned his shields, "Are you sure we can take them on by ourselves, Spongebob?" he asked.

"If it's to protect Taiyo, then it's worth it!" Spongebob said gallantly. Patrick nodded. "Well, then I'm with ya buddy. All the way!"

Taiyo smiled at them, feeling safe at their hands. As Vlad walked forward just before he felt an eccentric force, as if something was holding him back. "What's the meaning of t-this?!" Vlad grunted.

"What's wrong with him?" Plankton yelled. "Yo Vlad, stop messin' around and kill them all!" Vicky shouted.

Appearing in front of Vlad, was glowing image of Yoru that only Taiyo could see. Yoru was struggling to gain control. "No way..I'm gonna let you use me for this!" Yoru said, struggling.

"Yoru!" Taiyo yelled out to her friend. "You've gotta go now! The Heartless are coming!" Yoru ordered. "Hurry!"

Soon, Heartless emerged everywhere. Countless and countless Heartless appearing everywhere. Taiyo nodded. "Come on guys!"

"Danny! Shrek! What about you guys?" Patrick asked the ghost boy and the ogre.

"I came here for my revenge. And to save my friend." Danny said. "Heartless or not, I'm gonna defeat that man. The man who caused all of this and get her back!"

Shrek pounded his fists together, "I'm not leavin' this castle until I find Fiona!" A fiery green aura burned around Danny. "We'll keep these guys and the Heartless at bay. Get outta here, _NOW_!" Taiyo, Spongebob, and Patrick made a run for it while they had the chance. Vicky smirked and chased after them. "Not if I can help it!"

Danny spun around and roundhouse kicked Vicky away, making her hit the ground.

"Damn..y-you..TWERP!" Vicky yelled in anger. She stood up and chuckled, wiping blood from her lips.

"You wanna fight us all,?" Vicky smiled. "Then bring it."

Vlad soon gained control and he turned his attention to Danny, a dark aura blazing around him. "Your strength is fueled by nothing more than revenge. You will fall quickly." Vlad snickered.

"Shut up! I'm gonna kick all of your asses and then take back what's mine!" Danny yelled. Shrek cracked his knuckles, "That's what I like to hear, kid!"

Plankton called upon the darkness and formed a human sized mech suit to fight in. "Hope you didn't forget about me." Plankton laughed. "All right, show me what you got!"

Danny and Shrek nodded to each other briefly and dashed towards the three, getting ready for a fight.

* * *

 ** _-Meanwhile-_**

As the five ran, Patrick brought up a good question. "What about the keyhole?!"

"Let's just worry about getting outta here!" Spongebob yelled.

"Yoru.." Taiyo muttered. "Kioku.."

A little Shadow Heartless watched them as they went out. Almost as if he knew them all. He jumped down and started to follow them.

* * *

 _-Hollow Bastion: Entrance Hall-_

After running through the castle to escape the Heartless, Taiyo, Spongebob and Patrick made it to the entrance hall safely. "What are we going to do now?!" Taiyo asked. "I have no idea, but we must get to the Gummi Ship!" Spongebob said.

"What's gonna happen to this world?" Taiyo asked, concerned about the fate of Hollow Bastion. Spongebob shrugged sadly. "I don't know.."

"But the keyhole must be locked." Patrick said. He then gasped and he glanced over at a Shadow. "Taiyo! It's-"

"A Heartless!" Spongebob growled, pulling out his staff. Taiyo turned around, and she saw a Shadow Heartless. It was harmless as it didn't attack them. "It ran after us?" Patrick pondered.

Taiyo stared at it. Coming to a realization and recognized the Heartless' identity. "Kioku?"

"WHA?!" Spongebob and Patrick exclaimed in unison. "What's going to happen to this world, I also don't know." Taiyo said. "But looking closely..."

Taiyo kneed down to the Heartless. "You look like a small calf."

Spongebob put his hands on his hips. "Taiyo! This is no time for games!" he shouted.

Taiyo pet the Heartless, "You're Kioku, right?" She then embraced the Heartless, holding it in her arms.

"You came back.." The Heartless suddenly glowed brightly.

"Holy mackerel!" Patrick exclaimed. In a flash of light, Kioku and Taiyo were embracing each other. Taiyo's arms wrapped around Kioku's neck, and his arms wrapped around her hips. "Thanks you, Taiyo.." Kioku smiled.

* * *

Danny was knocked far back as he blocked an energy blast from Vlad. "YAAAHHGGHH!"

Shrek managed to put up a decent fight against Plankton's mech, but was soon overpowered by him and knocked to the ground. He hit the floor, exhausted and drained. He looked up and saw the keyhole, darkness pouring out of it.

"D-Darkness...pouring out of it.." Danny grunted. "Will this world, disappear like mine did?"

Shrek pulled himself up to his feet, "C'mon lad, we can still fight.." the ogre grunted.

"Toodleloo.." Vicky and Plankton disappeared into a corridor of darkness, while Vlad enter the darkness-filled keyhole. "Danny!" A voice called out near him. Danny stood up and looked back. He saw Sam and all of the other Princesses of Heart. Shrek also heard a familiar voice call out to him.

"Shrek!" Fiona shouted as she came running towards him. The two embraced warmly and shared a kiss.

"The darkness is pouring out of the keyhole!" Sam said. "Even though we all worked hard to suppress it."

Princess Peach shouted. "If it's like this, we won't be able to suppress it!"

"The keyhole must be sealed!" Zelda said.

"But..Kioku's already..." Danny muttered. Fiona gave Danny a worried look, "Kioku? Is he okay?"

Shrek rubbed the back of his neck as he wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her of the boy's fate. "Fiona.."

* * *

Kioku summoned his Keyblade and looked forward. "You guys ready?" He smirked. "We need to hurry up and seal that keyhole."

Spongebob and Patrick smiled at Kioku, who was ready to go head on into whatever danger that lied ahead. "Wait are we waitin' for? Come on, let's get a move on!" The teen commanded, pointing his Keyblade forward. Kioku, Spongebob, Patrick and Taiyo raced back to the Grand Hall to seal the keyhole.


	23. Chapter 22: I Won't Say Goodbye

_**Chapter 22: I Won't Say Goodbye**_

 _ **-Hollow Bastion: Grand Hall-**_

Kioku and the others arrived and saw the other princesses along with Danny and Shrek. Princess Fiona's face lit up once she saw Kioku. "Kioku! He's the brave boy with the Keyblade!" She raced up to him and squeezed him into a hug, nearly suffocating the poor boy. Kioku flailed and flailed until she let go and let him breathe. "Zelda? You're a Princess of Heart?" Kioku said, surprised.

"That doesn't matter right now, darkness is pouring out of the Keyhole!" Zelda said. "You must seal it!"

Kioku nodded. "You got it!" The teen then ran up the stairs and got ready to seal the keyhole, until he saw a gigantic Heartless in his way. "Holy...C-Cr-Crap.."

"Oh no! A big Heartless!" Tootie cried. Suddenly, a large explosion hit the huge Behemoth Heartless and it began to disappear.

"What was that?!" Astral exclaimed. "The Heartless disappeared!" Sam shouted.

Coming to the rescue was Link, Jimmy, Lana, Snake and Meryl. Snake was wielding an RPG-7, hinting that he was one that took down the Heartless. "Good work, Snake! That Heartless is history!" Jimmy cheered.

"Kioku! Seal the keyhole! Do it now!" Snake shouted. Kioku, surprised from their sudden appearance, nodded and turned to the keyhole. Kioku aimed his Keyblade and began to seal the keyhole. The Keyhole appeared in the portal and a white beam shot from the end of his Keyblade and struck the keyhole and had begin locking it. A loud locking noise was heard afterwards.

Everyone clapped as the Kioku finished and happily gathered around him. "You did it, Kioku." Link cheered, smiling proudly.

"I wouldn't have pulled it off without the princesses!" Kioku laughed. All of the princesses giggled at Kioku's comment.

"So, how did you guys get here?" Spongebob asked. "Jimmy managed to build a Gummi Ship." Link said. He then looked around, "This was our childhood home." Link went on. "Long ago, when the world wasn't attacked by Heartless. People believed that the philosopher Vlad died to protect the people in the battle against the Heartless. But in reality, it was actually _him_ that created the Heartless."

Lana handed Kioku a light stack of papers. "We managed to find all of Vlad's reports. We only had to read a part of the report. And he hadn't known his true identity."

"During his research on the Heartless, he lost his heart to darkness, and he felt his previous form getting weaker and weaker." Jimmy said.

"That's why he took Yoru's body!" Kioku gasped, looking over the reports. He glared at the thought of Vlad. "Where did Vlad go?"

"The abyss of darkness that lies beyond worlds," Astral said. "Darkness that will overpower the world."

"Yes, it will swallow the entire world. That's where he probably is." Sam informed. "All right," Kioku nodded. "I'm gonna go get Vlad and the Heartless all at once!" He announced. "Yeah! And then everything will be like how it was!" Spongebob cheered.

"What's going on?" Snake asked. Kioku turned around and saw Snake's slightly frowning face. Meryl nudged Snake, "Go on, tell him that you're sad. C'mon Snake." The older man grumbled and looked away, "What, why would I be sad? R-Right, Link?"

Zelda stepped forward, "Once all of the worlds are restored, they'll be separate again. Everyone will go back from whence they came."

"You mean we won't be able to see each other again?" Kioku said softly. "Even a Gummi Ship probably won't do the trick." Link shrugged.

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick sat in brief silence. Link put a hand on Kioku's head, "We may never meet again, but we'll never forget each other." He said.

"No matter where we are, our hearts will bring us together again!" Lana winked. Taiyo looked down at her feet. Kioku smiled brightly and nodded.

"Yeah, you're right!" He chuckled. Snake shook his head, and lit a cigarette. His eyes getting glassy. "Damn it kid, why do you have to be so naive?"

Kioku tilted his head. "Eh?"

"Well, anyways, we'll be going now." Spongebob smiled. "Take care!"

"Bye, bye!" Patrick waved. "I won't say goodbye!" Taiyo waved as she started to walk with Kioku. The teen shoved his arm in front of Taiyo, making her come to a stop. "No Taiyo, you can't come with us." Kioku shook his head.

"And why not?", Taiyo pouted and folded her arms. "Because it's way too dangerous!" Kioku argued.

"Kioku! You can't go alone!" Taiyo argued back. She then got closer to Kioku, her nose nearly touching his. Kioku's heart nearly skipped a beat and his cheeks burned red. Everyone around them, giggled and snickered at the two, making the boy even more nervous.

"I wanna save Yoru just as much as you do.." Taiyo said softly. "Taiyo.." Kioku sighed. "All you have to do..is think about us. Think about Yoru and me,"

Taiyo stepped back. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Kioku started. "When I turned into a Heartless..I was lost in the darkness. In the darkness, I couldn't find my way. And as I stumbled through the dark, I started to forget things like who I was and who my friends were. The darkness almost swallowed me up." Kioku smiled warmly. "But then, I heard your voice, and you brought me back. Our hearts connected. Even if we're apart, we're not alone anymore right?"

Taiyo giggled. "So..what you're trying to tell me is that I'd be in your way?"

Kioku flinched and slumped his head over comically. "Uhh.."

"Okay, you win." Taiyo laughed as she handed Kioku the Thalassa Shell Lucky Charm she was working on. On one of the Thalassa shells, she had drawn a small depiction of Kioku's face. "Take this with you. I knew it was you, after you turned into a Heartless." Taiyo said. "Where ever you go, I'm always with you. Don't you ever forget that."

Kioku nodded. Taiyo gave him a more serious look. "One more thing."

"Huh?"

"You'd better bring that Lucky Charm back to me! I worked pretty darn hard on it!" Taiyo pouted again, making Kioku flinch once more. "You got it." Kioku nodded. "We're off."

Just as Kioku turned around, Taiyo quickly grabbed his hand. "Wait. One more thing." Kioku rolled his eyes and turned around. "What is it Tai-"

Taiyo stepped closer to Kioku and she pressed her light pink lips up against his. Kioku's eyes grew big and his face turned red. Taiyo opened her mouth and kissed him again, wrapping her arms around his neck. Kioku slowly slipped his arms around her hips and held her. They held the kiss until they couldn't breathe. Taiyo opened her mouth and smooched his lips once last time, right before pulling away.

Everyone around them stood in silenced, while the princesses couldn't nearly stay composed. Spongebob and Patrick's jaws were agape. Kioku was in shock as he had kissed Taiyo for the first time ever. Taiyo caressed Kioku's cheek, "That was also for luck, too. Silly goose."

Kioku slowly nodded. Spongebob pulled Kioku away and starting walking. "Let's go loverboy!"

"L-Loverboy?! Wh-What the hell!" Kioku flailed his arms, embarrassed while Patrick teased. Kioku ranted all the way out of the hall and the ranting and teasing faded as they left. Taiyo giggled as she watched them go. "You'd better come back to me." She blushed.

Coming in through a corridor of darkness was Vicky and Plankton. "Sorry to crash the party, but y'know, we all can't have happy endings." Vicky shrugged.

"Yeah, now that Kioku and his idiot lackeys are out of here, it's about time we crushed all you fools FLAT!" Plankton laughed. "Don't you talk about Kioku like that, you pint-sized shrimp!" Taiyo yelled. Plankton growled. "Why you!"

Link unsheathed his Master Sword, Lana opened up her Book of Sorcery, Snake and Meryl readied their assault rifles, Zelda took out her Rapier, Danny got into a stance with his fists and Shrek cracked his knuckles. They all stood side by side, ready to fight.

"Seven on two?" Vicky snicker. "That's not even a fair fight!" She laughed as a dark aura wisped around her. "Say, Danny, didn't you wanna take your little tantrum out on Vlad? If you still want to, you better hurry up because Kioku and his twerps are leaving." Danny scoffed. "I don't need to, now that I have Sam. Besides Kioku's gonna wipe the floor with Vlad once he gets to him."

Vicky gasped. She clenched her fists. "Yeah right!"

"Let's hurry up and get this over with, my boredom is starting to kick in!" Plankton yawned. "You're making a big mistake, Vicky!" Tootie squeaked.

"Shut up!" Vicky growled. "Pure hearted brat!Now..show me what you got!" Vicky shouted, dashing towards the seven.

 _ **{OBTAINED: Oathkeeper**_

 _ **ATK 8 | MAG 9**_

 _ **"Raises 1 MP and enhances magic and summon power. Capable of dealing a string of critical blows."}**_

* * *

 ** _-Sea of Stars-_**

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick approached Terminus de Mundus, the remains of the worlds that were taken by the Heartless. "There it is.." Kioku muttered. He turned to his two companions. "This is it." Spongebob nodded.

"No turning back now." Patrick said.

"Yeah, All for one.." Kioku smirked. Spongebob pushed down and blasted off towards the world.

 _ **"AND ONE FOR ALL!"**_


	24. Final Chapter: Light vs Darkness

**_Chapter 23: Light vs. Darkness_**

 ** _-Terminus de Mundus: Gate to the Dark-_**

 _ **(Field Theme: End of the World)**_

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick stood and overlooked the sea of darkness. Kioku clutched Taiyo's Lucky Charm in his hand and took a deep breath. The other two had also had nervous looks on their faces as their journey was going to come to an end once they defeat Vlad. Once they find him that is. "So..this is it.." Patrick said.

" _Yup_." Spongebob replied, awkwardly as he stared forward. "So, this is all of that's left of the worlds destroyed by Heartless?" Kioku asked, referring to the fragmented pieces of the rocks scattered across the vast darkness before them.

"Yup. Those worlds be will restored once we beat Vlad." Spongebob said. Kioku chuckled. "Sweet."

Patrick rubbed his chin. "I wonder where that Vlad guy went.." The teen turned to the starfish. "Dive into the most dangerous place, and we'll find him." Kioku nodded. Suddenly a large orb of darkness appeared, and flooding out of it was a group of Heartless, along with another Behemoth Heartless. Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick readied their weapons.

A bunch of new Heartless emerged too.

First, there was the Invisibles. The Invisibles possess black skin, a muscular frame, and a heart-shaped hole in their torsos. They have sharp purple and blue horns that form the outline of a curled heart. They also have small blue bat-like wings on their back, gold-tipped feathered wings on their forearms, and bluish-purple fireballs under their feet, presumably assisting them in their fast movements and tying into their dark fire attack. Their long tails appear scaly, and end in a sharp, crescent-shaped blade. Unlike many Heartless, which tend to attack with natural weapons like claws or magic-based powers, the Invisible bears a scalloped, blue-bladed sword, which appears blunt, but can unleash powerful physical blows.

Second, there were the Angel Stars. Angel Stars, at first glance, appear to be fragile and weak Heartless. They get their name from their golden wings, which are formed from two larger lower wings that have two slightly smaller wings attached to the top of them; the whole assembly is kept on with two bright yellow orbs that form the joints. Their transparent glass bodies form a delicate bell shape, housing a single filament that bears a strong resemblance to the jagged jawlines of other Heartless. It rests on a tapering blue-colored stand which ends in a spike and is decorated with two pale gold rings. The top of the glass is covered with blue cap, on top of which is a tear shaped gold topper; the topper features three shining bright gold dots towards the bottom resembling eyes, and the top end of it is curled in a manner reminiscent of the hats of several other types of Heartless.

Lastly, the Bit Snipers. The Bit Sniper has a simple, but surprisingly frightening appearance. It has a large, black teardrop shaped body, black bat wings, which enable it to fly and crawl around, the classic Heartless jagged jawline, and bright yellow eyes; looking closely around the eyes, blue vein-like patterns also can be seen.

"Seems like _every_ area here is dangerous!" Kioku shouted. "Stay on your toes!"

* * *

 _ **(Battle Theme: Fragments of Sorrow)**_

Kioku gripped his Keyblade and cut away at a horde of Heartless, defeating them all in less than three swipes. Spongebob's magic was powerful and a lot more dangerous, and he blasted off three powerful Firagun spells at the large Behemoth, taking out a large chunk from it. Kioku and Patrick locked arms and leaped into the air. They quickly spun into the remaining part of the Behemoth like a buzzsaw and sliced it in half. They landed safely on the ground. Kioku clashed blades with an Invisible and an rapidly slashed away at it. He then turned to a charged group of Angel Stars. Kioku conjured up a ball of pure light and fired it at them killing them all in a single hit.

Adrenaline was coursing through Kioku's body, "We're stronger than ever, these Heartless ain't got a chance against us!"

Patrick crushed a large group of Bit Snipers with his charged up shields, and swung them around as he was nearly ambushed by a group of Shadows that tried to home in on him. Spongebob took out the remaining Heartless with a Blizzagun spell. The three panted. "I'm worn out already." Spongebob panted, fanning himself off with his hat.

Kioku panted, "Well, we gotta press on. This'll all be over once we get to Vlad."

They then traveled on into the Final Dimension.

* * *

 ** _-Terminus de Mundus: Final Dimension-_**

Once they got there, they kept running on. On the way, they encountered the previous Heartless they had slain over the course of their journey.

Nightcrawler from Kioku's first time in Daybreak Town. Too easy.

Storm Rider from Town of Mysteries, it was huge, but they easily took it down without a problem.

Nightfaller from their second Daybreak Town visit, Bowser's lame excuse for a Heartless. Easily trampled.

Ruler of the Skies from Far, Far Away was pretty difficult without Shrek's onions and the Dragon's use of flight, but they defeated rather quickly.

The Experiment was easier than the ones they defeated so far. And finally Dark Thorn, from Wind-Up Castle. It was pretty tough, and was fast. But Kioku and the boys managed to be the victors.

After the many Heartless fights that brought brief recollection of their journey, they decided to rest.

Spongebob panted. "So..tired.." Patrick panted. "I dunno..how much longer I can go."

Kioku wiped his forehead. "We can't stop. We're already here, and there's no turning back now." The two sea creatures nodded.

Suddenly, a large black orb came rushing towards them at high speeds. Kioku's eyes popped out of his head, he quickly grabbed Spongebob and Patrick dashed in the other direction.

"Run! RUN!" Kioku screamed. "What is that thing?!" Spongebob cried.

Patrick looked back, seeing that the orb was gaining on them. "It's getting closer!" Kioku's heart pounded and pounded. He felt the darkness slowly engulf the three of them. The giant orb of darkness swallowed them and morphed into the ground, transporting to somewhere.

* * *

 ** _-Terminus de Mundus: Fragmented Path-_**

The giant orb spit them out onto a snowy wasteland with plentiful outcroppings of crystals. The three landed in the snow. Kioku shook his head, and stood up to his feet. Spongebob and Patrick stood up aswell, and in front of them was a large door. Kioku tilted his head and walked up to it. He pushed it open and a bright light shined in their faces.

The teen turned back to his friends. "Come on! This way!" Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick walked through the door and into the unknown.

* * *

 ** _-Terminus de Mundus: World Terminus-_**

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick entered into another area. In the center of the area was a large smoke-like pillar. "What's that?" Spongebob asked pointing to the pillar.

"Look's like some kind of strange smoke." Kioku commented as the three walked over to it. The teen reached out and touched it and almost immediately, they were shown a vision of a bunch of worlds. "Hey, I can see Daybreak Town!" Kioku said.

"And there! Town of Mysteries!" Patrick exclaimed. "Looks likes a bunch of worlds are trapped here." Spongebob said. "It's like a prison for all worlds."

The portal then turned into a door. "What's in here?" Kioku reached out to the door, he was about to open it until a familiar voice startled him.

 _Be careful..._

"Huh?" Kioku muttered. He spun around. "Spongebob did you say something?"

"Nuh uh." Spongebob shook his head. Kioku turned to face the door. "That voice sounded so familiar."

He heard the voice again.

 _Beyond, there is no light to protect you..._

 _But don't be afraid..._

 _Your heart is the mightiest weapon of all..._

 _Remember..._

 _You are the one who will open the door..._

Kioku nodded. "Got it!"

He then gripped the two handles of the door and pulled them open. The three walked into the light and everything from there went bright.

* * *

 ** _-Terminus de Mundus: Tranquil County?-_**

The three entered into a large grassy field. Behind them was an old abandoned garage with a newly built boat inside of it. In the distance of the field, they could see a large town, and trains going across the tracks. Kioku looked around, being familiar with the place.

"This is.." Memories started to flood his mind.

* * *

 _"If a meteor dares to come crashing towards our kingdom, I'll smack it back into outer space with a single swipe of my Zweihander!"_

 _"Why are you so determined to marry Queen Taiyo? No matter how many times I defeat you, you always manage to stand back up.."_

 _"Because, I never give up! No matter how hard the fight might be, I'll always get back up to try again!"_

 _Kioku sat with his legs criss-crossed. "Looks like I'm the winner, huh?"_

 _Yoru shook his head, "Nope, my feet touched the floor first!"_

 _"Yeah, but my hand was inside first!" Kioku argued back._

 _"Will both of you pipe down? We got a boat to finish here!" Taiyo yelled, shutting both of the boys up._

* * *

"This is our town!" Kioku smiled. A ghostly voice boomed.

 _This world has been connected..._

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick summoned their weapons and looked around.

 _Tied to the darkness..._

 _Soon to be completely eclipsed..._

The skies darkened, the fields around them started to crack and create deep crevices. The grass went from a luscious green to a nightmarish dark red. Everything around them started to become distorted and evil looking.

 _There is so very much to learn..._

Kioku remembered the day in the tree house. He remembered the words of the cloaked figure.

* * *

 _"You do not yet know, what lies beyond the door."_

 _"You understand so little.._

 _"A meaningless effort."_

 _"One who knows nothing can understand nothing."_

* * *

The three looked around cautiously. Kioku then looked forward. His eyes grew big. He saw Yoru in his dark suit, standing in the red grassfields, overlooking the black sea. When Yoru spoke, he sounding a great deal like Plasmius.

"Take a look at this tiny place." 'Yoru' spoke. "To the heart seeking freedom, this town is a prison surrounded by water."

'Yoru' chuckled. "And so this boy, sought to escape this prison."

Kioku remembered Yoru and his descend into darkness.

* * *

 _"Once we step through, we might never be able to come back. We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back, Kioku."_

 _"This may be our only chance! We can't let fear stop us. I'm not afraid of the darkness!"_

 _"I should be asking you that. You only seem interesting in running about and showing off your Keyblade."_

 _"Do you even want to save Taiyo?"_

 _"You think you can preach to me, after what you done?"_

 _"You abandoned me for your new friends! You think just because you have that Keyblade, you can act all high and mighty and give out orders as if you're some kind of officer of justice."_

 _"Save it, Kioku. Why don't you just play with your new friends?"_

 _"The Heartless obey me now, Kioku. I don't have anything to fear."_

* * *

"He sought a way to cross over to other worlds." the fake Yoru said. He then turned around and revealed his true identity. Vlad Plasmius. "...And he opened his heart to darkness.." Vlad said hauntingly.

"Yoru!" Kioku exclaimed, reaching out to the illusion of Yoru that was soon replaced by Vlad.

"Don't bother." Vlad chuckled. "Your voice can no longer reach him where he is. His heart belongs again to darkness. All worlds begin in darkness and all so end.."

The world around them all broke and slowly started to disintegrate into darkness. Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick screamed as they all started to lose their footing and they began to float. Everything around them was black. No ground to stand on. Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick floated in the dark space. But, although Vlad has disappeared, his voice still reached them.

"Where did he go?!" Kioku shouted, his Keyblade summoned and ready for battle.

* * *

 _"The heart is no different. Darkness sprouted within it, it grows and consumes it."_

 _"Only the power of a hear without darkness is able to open Kingdom Hearts."_

Seven hearts swirled around in the dark space. Kioku shouted, "Show yourself!

 _"And the seven hearts without darkness in all of the worlds..."_

A giant bright orb formed in front of them. Kioku glared cautiously. "What the.."

 _"Belonging to the seven hearts of the princeses..."_

 _"...Have opened the door!"_

* * *

 _ **(Boss Theme: Ying Yang -Kioku vs. Vlad-)**_

A large titanic battleship and easily one of the largest Heartless Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick has ever seen. It seems to be almost entirely organic and made of twisted, discolored flesh. Its body is very long and flat on top. Its face is on the front tip of its body, and its main core is located on top of its body towards its rear. The core is covered by a twisted, dark pink cage. On top of this cage are Vlad and his Guardian Heartless, now much larger—though still small in comparison to the World of Chaos—and heavily altered in appearance. The World of Chaos is colored in a mix of faded pink, cyan, brown, and yellow. Two leg-like protrusions are attached to the battleship's underside. The foremost one, underneath the Heartless's face, is long, thin, and triangular. The rearmost one, underneath the main core, is a wide, thin arc. A long, rocky "tail" sprouts from the World of Chaos's back.

The battleship's Face is demonic and sports a long, pointed chin and a bulbous forehead. Its mouth is filled with large, white fangs and its eyes are fairly small, glowing yellow, and surrounded by black rings. The three exclaimed as they got a look at the World of Chaos.

"Holy crap!" Kioku shouted in shock.

"MOTHER OF NEPTUNE!" Spongebob and Patrick exclaimed.

Vlad laughed maniacally. "Behold the endless abyss of darkness!"

"Within, lies the heart of all worlds... ** _KINGDOM HEARTS_**!"

Vlad bared a fangful smiled. "Every light must fade, every heart return to _**DARKNESS**_!" He stuck his arms out to the side. "Kingdom Hearts! Fill me with the power of darkness!" Vlad chanted. A large white door sitting on a fragmented snowy platform was creaked open. And flowing out of it, was darkness.

"Damn! We gotta shut that door!" Kioku cursed. "Right!" Spongebob nodded. As the three got ready to fly towards the big white door, thick wisps of darkness suddenly started to wrap around the three of them and tighten up, making it hard for them to move. Kioku struggled.

"Gah...ahhhhh...!" Kioku choked. His heart beat so fast, and it felt like it was going to explode. Vlad laughed once again. "It is futile, the Keyblade alone cannot seal the Door to Darkness."

Spongebob and Patrick struggled. "Hgh...Nhf..Ahh!"

"And now! All of your hearts will return to darkness from whence it came!" Vlad shouted. The darkness slowly began to swallow the three. Kioku growled.

" _ **THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE WRONG!**_ " Kioku shouted. " _ **THAT'S NOT THE HEART'S TRUE ESSENCE!**_ "

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?"

" ** _What was that, boy?!_** " Vlad's voice echoed loudly. " _ **What would you know about the heart? You know nothing.. you've learned nothing.**_ "

" _ **The heart may be weak, and sometimes...it may even give in.**_." Kioku's voice echoed. He again thought of Yoru and his fall into darkness.

" _ **But I've learned. That deep down, there's a light that never goes out**_!" The wisps that were slowly swallowing Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick disappeared.

Vlad stuttered as the light inside of the door to darkness began to shine brighter than ever. He exclaimed in pain. " _ **AAgghgahh**_!

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick flew towards Vlad, their weapons cloaked in light. Kioku gritted his teeth, and his eyes were flaring with anger. Kioku spun his blade around briefy and rapidly started to whack away at Vlad. The Seeker of Darkness screamed in horror as he was being ripped apart by the raw power of light. The light around Kioku's Keyblade extended and become a lengthy, sword of light. Kioku held it out to the side and spun around, slashing Vlad rapidly as he spun.

Spongebob's fired off thick pillars of light that sliced and nearly tore Vlad's body apart. " _ **AHA! TAKE THAT!**_ " The sponge exclaimed.

" ** _GYYAAHAHH! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!_** " Vlad writhed in pain, crying out. " _ **KINGDOM HEARTS IS DARKNESS AND NOTHING MORE!"**_

Patrick's shields both shined with a bright light and he rapidly spun into Vlad with them, doing heavy damage to the villain. " _ **NO! IT'S! NOT!**_ "

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick landed on the snowy, fragmented path. They looked up at the World of Chaos. The light around their weapons faded.

Vlad cried. " ** _THE DARKNESS WILL EAT YOU ALIVE! KINGDOM HEART'S DARKNESS WILL RIP YOU TO BITS!_** "

Kioku shook his head. The three stood in a trinity formation, facing each other. They pointed their weapons to the ground.

" _ **We know now..**_ " Kioku started.

" _ **...Without a single doubt.**_ " Spongebob added.

" _ **Kingdom Hearts..**_." Patrick added.

The three lifted their weapons in the air in perfect synchronization. An orb of light forming in the middle of them exploding into a raging light storm.

 ** _"...IS LIGHT!"_**

An orb of light forming in the middle of them exploding into a raging light storm. The Door to Darkness slammed open, a piercing bright light emitting from behind it.

Vlad writhed and squirmed. " _ **WHA-?!**_ "

The warm light had began to engulf Vlad and his Heartless battleship. " _ **LIGHT?! BUT WHY-?!**_ " Vlad cried.

" _ **SO...W-WARM!**_ "

* * *

Soon, Vlad was gone, as the light had swallowed him whole. The light had dimmed. Kioku and the other two rested their arms. They turned to the large door as darkness still poured from it. "That bright light is what _really_ lies deep within everyone's hearts." Kioku smiled. "I just know it."

"Let's hurry and close that door!" Spongebob suggested. "Yeah!" Kioku nodded.

The three dashed towards the giant door. The door was a lot bigger once they got closer to it. Kioku got on one side and Spongebob and Patrick got the other. They pushed and pushed, but the door wouldn't budge.

"Tartar sauce! The door is too heavy!" Spongebob shouted, pushing as hard as he could. Beads of sweat started to drip from Kioku's forehead as he pushed. "It's so heavy."

"Don't give up!" Another voice shouted, this one sounding very familiar. Yoru appeared on the other side of the door, he gripped the door. "Come on, Kioku!"

"Together we can do it!" Yoru smiled. Kioku smiled and nodded. Spongebob and Patrick peered into the door and saw hordes of Heartless emerging from the inside. "H-Hurry!" The teen shouted.

"It's no use!" Spongebob cried. On the inside, the shadowy figure of a large crab jumped up. It was holding a Keyblade. A bright, warm aura blazing around it. A good chunk of the Heartless were defeated. Spongebob and Patrick's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at they looked at the figure.

"Your Majesty?!" The two said in shock.

The crab held up his Keyblade. "Now Kioku! Let's close this door for good, me boy!"

"Close it quick!" Spongebob said.

Kioku lowered his head, "But..."

King Krabs turned in their direction. "Don't worry, lad. There will always be a door to the light." Patrick nodded. "Kioku! You can trust King Krabs!"

Yoru turned to King Krabs. "Now! They're coming!" he shouted.

King Krabs nodded. "Spongebob, Patrick..thank you, lads." Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick pushed and pushed, and the door was budging! As the door was closing, Yoru turned back to Kioku, smiling. His next words made Kioku stop briefly.

 _"Take care of her."_

Kioku nodded and resumed pushing. Yoru's smiling face was the last thing Kioku saw as the door came to a close. As it closed, a loud slamming sound was heard.

Kioku stepped back and raised his Keyblade into the air.

 _Behind the door, Krabs raised his Keyblade._

* * *

The Door to Darkness sparkled and lit up brightly. As it glowed bright, it slowly started to fade. The door faded away, and the fragmented path was shown in the distance. Kioku and the two sighed as the door was finally gone. They looked up at where the door used to be. "It's over." Kioku sighed with relief. "All over.."

"Come on guys," Spongebob smiled. "Let's go." Kioku felt a faint presence behind him, he turned around and saw Taiyo standing far behind them. She was looking around, like she was lost and didn't know where she was. The teen smiled and ran towards her, the sound of crunching snow was heard as he ran. Patrick reach out to say something, but Spongebob held him back. "No Patrick.."

Patrick frowned sadly. A bright light shined behind them.

* * *

Kioku ran and ran, until he finally got over to her. "Taiyo!"He called out to her.

Taiyo's face lit up as she saw him. "Kioku!"

The two ran to meet each other. They hugged tightly, and parted to look each other in the eyes.

"How did you get here?" Kioku asked. The girl shrugged. "I don't know, one moment I was with Link and the others and then I'm here." Taiyo said.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay." Kioku smiled. Taiyo giggled and moved closer to him. Kioku's cheeks grew red, as did Taiyo's. "Taiyo, I-"

They locked their lips into a kiss. Taiyo cupped Kioku's face and the key bearer placed his hands on her hips.

Taiyo parted her lips. She stared deep into Kioku's eyes. Kioku was about to dive in for another kiss, but Taiyo stop his lips with a finger. She bit her lip shyly.

"Kioku, I lo-" Suddenly the ground under them shook violently. The ground in between them was splitting apart.

"Ahh!" Taiyo exclaimed. Kioku grabbed her hand and Taiyo tightened her grip. The two held on tightly.

"Taiyo! Remember what I said before?" Kioku shouted. "I'm always with you too,"

"I'll come back to you, I promise!" Kioku said, still holding on. Wisps of bright light fell softly from the dark sky as the two were splitting apart from each other.

"I know you will!" Taiyo shouted, tears streaming down her face. The two's grip gave out and the two were separated, Kioku reached out to Taiyo as he ascended upward and Taiyo wiped her eyes as she watched Kioku leave her.

More of the small orbs of light continued to rain down, Taiyo held her hand out and caught one. She gently closed her hand and held it to her heart. Soon, buildings and lightpoles had began to form around her. The streets and sidewalks were being paved by the light. The world around her was returning. Taiyo smiled.

"The worlds are all returning." She said to herself. Taiyo smiled brightly as the rest of Tranquil County was restored. She ran around the town for a while, and then something told her to go to the old tree house.

* * *

She raced across the town and made it over there. Taiyo climbed and climbed until she reached the top.

Once she was inside the tree house, she looked at all of the drawings that were carved into the wooden walls. Memories of her and Kioku drawing the illustrations as she slowly walked by them all.

* * *

Taiyo then reached the drawing of her and Kioku. But it seemed that someone had drew Kioku's arm giving her a Paopu Fruit. She then saw an image of Kioku drawing it, afterwards he turned around and gave her his infamous smile. The image then disappeared in a flash of light. Tears filled Taiyo's eyes and her lips curled up into a smile. She kneeled down and caressed the picture.

"Kioku.." She sobbed. "Hurry home.."


	25. Epilogue: March Caprice

**_-Epilogue-_**

 _ **(Credits Music: March Caprice)**_

 ** _-Bikini Bottom-_**

 _Princess Pearl and Squidward happily walk through the halls of the Krusty Kastle. They both feel like a great deed has been done for all of the worlds and come to the relieving realization that Spongebob and Patrick, along with the Key, have successfully completed their mission. Soon, three chipmunks, Alvin, Simon and Theodore raced around them. Theodore bumped into Squidward, making his pants fall down. The embarrassed Squidward yells at the three chipmunks as they run off, with Pearl laughed innocently at them_

* * *

 ** _-Hollow Bastion-_**

 _Link, Lana, and Zelda sit in the library of the castle. Jimmy comes in and introduced them two three new people that found their way to Hollow Bastion. Lucina, Robin and a blue haired swordsman named Ike. Lucina and Zelda instantly start chatting. Lana blushes and takes Robin by the arm and starts chatting with him, the boy is flustered. Ike approaches Link, who is leaning up again a book case. Shrugging, Ike leans against the bookcase next to him and begin conversation. Jimmy smiles, and the he suddenly hears Snake and Meryl come in, along with familiar voices. Jimmy turns around to see his friends whom he once lost in his own world. Carl, Cindy and Libby.  
_

 _Jimmy's eyes are filled to the brim with tears of joy, and he rushes over to them and tackled them all into a hug. Snake and Meryl embrace and look on in happiness._

* * *

 ** _-_ _Daybreak Town-_**

 _CatDog run around the town in happiness, passing by the many citizens who jump out of their way as they rush towards the alleyway. Dog jumps into the air and plunges deep into a dumpster. The two brothers resurface laugh and smile merrily._

* * *

 _- **Town of Mysteries** -_

 _Noah is looking out the window of the Inn, staring at the lovely sight of a stormless, sunny day. Melanie taps him on the shoulder to get his attention. Noah turns around and the two share a kiss. As Shelby and Cindy look on, and the two start to laugh. Noah looks at them with rosy cheeks and starts to argue. Melanie giggles and kisses him again._

* * *

 _- **Land of the Wild** -_

 _Eliza and her family are driving their RV across the Savannah, the blazing sunset shining behind them. Eliza and Darwin stick their heads out of the window and see a group of zebras running beside them. The girl laughs and looks up at the orange sky, feeling joyed._

* * *

 _- **Interstellar Arena** -_

 _Jenny is surrounded by a group of fighters in the Training area. As they charge at her, she easily takes them down one by one. More come at her, and she just takes them down as well. Jenny stretches and looked back at her mother, Nora , who is cheering loudly. Jenny laughs and then looks up at the glass ceiling, into the star-scattered space._

* * *

 _- **Paradise Valley** -_

 _Alex is looking up into the sky in front of her garage, a smile of relief present on her face. Her sister, Annie, called her inside and tells her to come look at what she had made. Alex runs into the garage and see's a huge, thick tarp hiding something huge. Annie smiles and pulls the tarp off, revealing a fully made, flyable Gummi Ship of her own. Alex squeals with excitement and hugs her sister. She then steps away and looks at her new Gummi Ship. She adjusts her hat and smiles. Until her sister hands her a Flying Manual. Alex groans and takes the heavy book. Annie laughs and pats her head._

* * *

 _- **Far, Far Away** -_

 _Shrek and Fiona have a small wedding in the swamp with all of the fairytale beings. Donkey prances to the front with the dragon. Coming along with them are small, baby dragon-donkey hybrids. Shrek laughs and pets Donkey. Fiona embraces Shrek and they both look up into the sky._

* * *

 _- **Polk Middle School** -_

 _Ned and Cookie are walking in the crowded halls of Polk Middle School. They see the students move out of way as Gordy chases the weasel, slipping and falling all the while. As the comical Gordy falls down on his butt, looking ridiculous as ever, Ned and Cookie share a laugh together. Gordy starts to laugh as well._

* * *

 _- **Wind-Up Castle** -_

 _Eureeka is practicing her magic. She's very hard at work. She twirls her wand until it magically floats around her and she starts to spew blasts of magic everywhere. Feeling accomplishment, Eureeka grabs her wand from the air and smiles._

* * *

 _- **Adventurous Forest** -_

 _Little Bear and his friends happily trot in the forest. They make their to the hilltop and they sit there. Little Bear stands up and looks up into the sky for a moment, followed by everyone else. Little Bear smiles playfully and then turns to duck and tags her before running off into the forest. Everyone else runs from Duck, and she happily waddles after them._

* * *

 _- **Tranquil County** -_

 _Taiyo sits on the Hilltop overlooking the town and the clear blue ocean. There, she waits for Kioku and Yoru's return._

* * *

 _ **-Meanwhile-** _

Kioku, Spongebob and Patrick walked down a single path in a vast grassy field. Kioku had his hands resting behind his head, a single piece of wheat hanging out of his mouth. Sponngebob and Patrick walked on both sides of him in their casual clothing. After they defeated Vlad, the Seeker of Darkness, and was separated from Taiyo. The three immediately began their search for Yoru and King Krabs.

Kioku looked up at the sky as they walked. "Well, now what?" Spongebob asked.

"We've gotta find Yoru and King Krabs." Kioku replied. Patrick chimed in. "But where do we start looking for the door to the light?"

The three thought about and the all stopped in their tracks. Then, they all slumped over and sighed. Kioku they picked his head up and his face had the look of confusion "Huh?"

Kioku saw a snail slither across the path. The snail looked over at them. Spongebob and Patrick looked up at the snail. "Gary? A puzzled Spongebob said.

"Hiya, Gary! Where've you been?" Patrick asked. Gary meowed and turned to the side. Kioku noticed an envelope pasted on Gary's shell. "Huh?"

"That's the King's seal!" Patrick said, pointing out the red KK on the letter.

"Hey, have you seen King Krabs?" Kioku asked the snail. Gary meowed and turned around and started to slither away at a really fast pace.

Patrick looked at the other two, smiling brightly. Soon Spongebob did the same thing. Kioku walked forward, he turned to the other two.

"Guys, let's go!" Kioku shouted happily. The three then chased Gary. They ran and ran, the wind gently blowing against their faces and the adrenaline pumping through their bodies.

"Oh yeah!" Spongebob happily hopped into the air.

"WHOOHOOO!" Patrick shouted into air, happily.

Kioku laughed at the two's happiness and joined them. "YEAAHHHH!"

The three happily chased Gary further and further into the field. Intending to get the letter and read it, to find out if the King and Yoru is okay.

* * *

 _Remember, Kioku._

 _You are the one who will open_

 _The door to the light._


	26. Another Side, Another Story

_Another Side, Another Story..._

A boy walked through the rain, wearing a black coat. with the hood shrouding his face. His long, blonde bangs drape over his eyes, but he bared a cocky smile. In his hands he held two Keyblades. One belonging to the light, while the other belonged to the darkness. The rain poured down endlessly, and he stepped forward, the sounds of his feet stomping through the puddle of rainwater were barely audible in the noisy rain. Around him were bright lights and tall buildings. Seems like he was in a city of some sort. Standing only far before him with a large skyscraper, outlined with neon lights that lit up in the night sky. Countless of black ink puddles surrounded him and in the blink of an eye, Heartless appeared. The Heartless were taller, more muscular versions of Shadows. Their antennas were longer and blue veins were popping out of their heads.

The hooded boy looked up and saw someone standing on top of the skyscraper, bearing the same black coat as he did. The boy's long, raven black hair was tied back into a ponytail and his bangs flew wildly in the wind. His eyes were concealed by a black blindfold. But for some reason, he could sense the hooded boy's presence. He lifted his head up, letting the rain pour down on his tan skin—a smile forming on his face.

A few of the Neo-Shadows jumped at the fooded boy, but he quickly swiped them into oblivion with his Keyblades. He started to cut a few of them down to size, adding in a couple of kicks. Some more Neo-Shadows hopped high into the air, threatening to attack from there. The hooded boy quickly tossed one of his Keyblades into the air and let it rapidly spin and tear through the Heartless. While his other Keyblade was ripping through countless of airborne Heartless, the hooded boy swiped through the the surrounding Heartless with a spinning slashed, taking out a large chunk of them. He lifted his hand into the air and his second Keyblade came back to him. He ran to the bottom of the Skyscraper and looked up at the blindfolded boy. His grips on his Keyblades tightened and he jumped onto the Skyscraper and started to dash up the front of it. Heartless followed behind him and tried to hinder him by getting in front of him. The hooded boy's hands rapidly moved his Keyblades at a fast pace, chopping down all of the Heartless that jumped in front of him, while quickly making his way up the tall building. The hooded by cocked back and threw one of his Keyblades up the building, let it spin towards the blindfolded boy.

The blindfolded boy smirks and started to make his way down the Skyscraper. He caught and Keyblade and flew towards and Hooded boy. The hooded boy and the blindfolded boy were slowly about to meet up. Getting closer and closer. A loud clashing noise echoed throughout the city, and their Keyblade's were locked together. The blindfolded boy took a swipe at the hooded boy, but he had quickly evaded the attack with a back flip. The blindfolded boy dashed at the hooded boy, striking his Keyblade forcefully and making the latter fall quickly towards the ground.

Regaining his footing in the air and quickly falling to the Heartless surrounded area, the hooded boy plunged his Keyblade into the ground, making nearly all of the Heartless spring up into the air with a crucial shockwave. The blindfolded boy jumped off of the side of the building and dashed over to the hooded boy with amazing speed. Soon, the two were locked in combat with their Keyblades constantly clashing and slamming against each other, with fiery sparks emitting from them with each blow. In between swings they would occasionally cut away at the Heartless surround the combat area, to even out the field.

Soon all the Heartless were gone and the two stood on the opposite sides of the street. The glowing, captive hearts floating into the rainy air. The two readied their Keyblades. The rain fell harder as the lights of the dark city flickered and buzzed as result of a quake. The two dashed at each other and hopped into the air, getting ready to cut one another down.


End file.
